Context:
The Union Cabinet has sanctioned a substantial investment, amounting to over ₹22,750 crore, for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to propel four key space missions anticipated in the coming years. This funding aligns with ISRO’s ambitious Vision 2047, aiming to advance India’s position in global space endeavors and foster technological innovations within the country’s aerospace sector.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Current Space Initiatives Approved by India’s Cabinet
- Detailed Insights
Current Space Initiatives Approved by India’s Cabinet
- Chandrayaan-4 Mission: India’s fourth lunar expedition.
- Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM): A mission aiming to explore Venus.
- Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): India’s upcoming indigenous space station project.
- Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV): Development of a new launch vehicle.
Detailed Insights:
Chandrayaan-4 Mission
- Budget and Schedule: Set at ₹2,104.06 crore with a planned launch in 2027.
- Mission Costs Include:
- Spacecraft development
- Two Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) launches
- External deep space network support
- Design validation tests
- Objectives: The mission will remotely collect lunar rock samples and return them to Earth.
- Advancements: Builds on Chandrayaan-3’s technology with new features like lunar docking and precision landing.
- Goal: To enhance self-reliance in space technology and lay foundational tech for a future manned lunar mission by 2040.
Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM)
- Financials: Budgeted at ₹1,236 crore, with a launch target set for March 2028.
- Purpose: To send a spacecraft to Venus and study its atmosphere and geology.
- Importance: Offers insights into Venus’s development and its extreme greenhouse gas effects.
Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)
- Funding: An additional ₹11,170 crore has been allocated.
- Timeline: First module, BAS-1, expected to launch by 2028 and complete by 2035.
- Objective: To operate a space station 400 km above Earth, supporting 15-20 day astronaut missions.
- Research Benefits: Will serve as a platform for experiments in microgravity, astronomy, and Earth observation.
Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV)
- Investment: A total of ₹8,240 crore approved for the project.
- Development Timeline: First launch projected in 84 months, with the entire project spanning 96 months.
- Capabilities: Designed to be high payload, cost-effective, reusable, and commercially viable.
- Strategic Importance: Essential for deploying the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, featuring enhanced payload capacity and modular green propulsion technology.
-Source: Indian Express
