New Delhi: The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, an ambitious lunar exploration project designed to demonstrate key technologies for landing on the Moon, collecting samples, and safely returning them to Earth.

In addition to Chandrayaan-4, the Cabinet has also greenlit the Venus Orbiter Mission and the development of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), reinforcing India's commitment to space exploration.

With a budget of Rs. 2,104.06 crore (approximately $253 million), Chandrayaan-4 is seen as a critical milestone in India's space program.

Building on the success of Chandrayaan-3, which achieved a historic soft landing on the Moon, this mission will focus on developing essential technologies such as docking and undocking in lunar orbit, safe return to Earth, and lunar sample collection and analysis.

Chandrayaan-4 is part of  India's broader space vision, which includes establishing an Indian Space Station (BAS) by 2035 and a crewed lunar landing by 2040.

The mission is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving these goals by validating key technologies for future missions.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will lead the project, which is set to be completed in 36 months of approval.

The project will significantly involve Indian industry and academia, creating jobs and driving technological advancements across multiple sectors.

A core objective of Chandrayaan-4 is to focus on indigenous technology development, making India self-reliant in critical areas needed for manned missions and lunar exploration.

The mission will also establish facilities for the curation and analysis of returned lunar samples, which will become valuable assets for scientific research.

Venus Mission approved

The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) has been granted a budget of Rs. 1,236 crore (approximately $149 million) and is scheduled for launch in March 2028. The mission aims to deepen our understanding of Venus's surface, subsurface, and atmosphere, as well as the Sun's influence on the planet. Scientists believe Venus, once similar to Earth, experienced significant changes, and studying these transformations could provide valuable insights into the evolution of both planets.

Bharatiya Antariksh Station Module to launch in 2028

The Cabinet has also approved the development of the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) as part of an expanded Gaganyaan program. The revised Gaganyaan program now includes eight missions to be completed by December 2028, including the launch of the BAS-1 module. The total funding for Gaganyaan has been increased to Rs 20,193 crore, with an additional Rs 11,170 crore allocated to support the expanded scope.