Space programme boost: Govt nod for Venus mission, Chandrayan-4

• Recently, the Union Cabinet approved four major space initiatives, marking significant progress in India's space ambitions.

India’s Space Missions

• These projects align with ISRO's Vision 2047 and include
  • a mission to Venus
  • the Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission
  • the continuation of the Gaganyaan mission
  • the establishment of an Indian Space Station

Venus Mission

• India's second planetary mission, following the Mars Orbiter Mission (2014), aims for a March 2028 launch when Earth and Venus are closest.
• The mission involves sending an orbiter to study Venus' surface, atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun.

Chandrayaan-4 (Lunar Mission)

• Chandrayaan-4 will send five modules on two launches to land on the moon, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth.
• The mission will involve docking and undocking manoeuvres, essential for India's vision of a human lunar mission by 2040.

Gaganyaan Mission and Indian Space Station

• The Union Cabinet also approved the extension of the Gaganyaan mission and the setup of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) with a budget of ₹20,193 crore.
• The space agency has set a deadline of December 2029 for the completion of all launches and operations of the first module of BAS.
• This will involve eight missions, four of which are dedicated to building the space station.
• This is in addition to the two uncrewed and one crewed mission that has already been approved for the Gaganyaan mission.

Next Generation Launch Vehicle

• A new launch vehicle capable of boosting ISRO’s capacity to carry payloads of up to 30T to low Earth orbit was also approved, with a budget of ₹8,239 crore.
• This vehicle is critical for future space missions, including BAS, with the first launch expected in 84 months.
• It will also have reusability resulting in low-cost access to space and modular green propulsion systems.

Prelims Takeaway

• Chandrayaan-4
• Gaganyaan Mission
• Indian Space Station