Introduction

The Indian government has recently approved several significant projects aimed at expanding India’s space exploration efforts, including a new rocket, missions to the Moon and Venus, and collaborations with the private sector.

A New Era in Space Exploration

• Building on Past Successes: Following the recent success of the Chandrayaan missions, ISRO is planning further lunar explorations and a mission to Venus.
• Private Sector Involvement: A green propulsion system and low Earth orbit satellites developed by private companies will soon be operational.

Key Developments

• Upcoming Missions: Launch of NISAR and Proba-3 satellites is anticipated, alongside various private sector satellite projects.

A Slew of Approvals

Gaganyaan Program

• Human Spaceflight Missions: The Union Cabinet approved four missions under the Gaganyaan program and an additional uncrewed flight.
• Funding: ₹11,170 crore allocated for these missions, along with ₹8,240 crore for the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).

Development of NGLV

• Collaboration with Industry: ISRO aims to work with private industries to ensure a smooth transition to operational flights.

New Launch Vehicles

• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV): Built by Hindustan Aeronautics and Larsen & Toubro, expected launch in late 2024 or early 2025.
• Commercialisation of LVM-3: New Space India, Ltd. will select a private entity for commercialization.

Missions to the Moon and Venus

Venus Orbiter Mission

• Launch Window: Scheduled for March 2028 at a cost of ₹1,236 crore.
• Scientific Goals: To study the harsh surface and atmosphere of Venus.

Chandrayaan-4 Mission

• Sample-Return Mission: Launch planned for 2027 at a cost of ₹2,104 crore.
• Mission Details: Two LVM-3 launch vehicles will be used to send components to the Moon, where samples will be collected.

Joint Mission with Japan

• LUPEX Mission: Focused on lunar exploration, utilizing a new lander design for future crewed missions.
• Development of Launch Infrastructure: A third launch pad at Sriharikota will be built to support NGLV testing.

Space-Based Surveillance and Astronaut Training

SBS Missions

• Cabinet Approval: The third phase of the Space Based Surveillance (SBS) program involves the construction of 21 satellites by ISRO and 31 by private companies.
• Funding: Total investment of ₹26,968 crore.

Astronaut Training

• Training Program for Sudhanshu Shukla: Official training commenced for India’s astronaut-designate ahead of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.

Upcoming Satellites

NISAR Satellite

• Collaboration with NASA: Earth observation satellite designed to assess land changes and monitor ecosystems.
• Launch Plan: Expected in early 2025 aboard a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Proba-3 Mission

• European Space Agency Initiative: A mission to study the Sun’s corona, launching on November 29 on a PSLV-XL vehicle.

Innovations in the Private Sector

Green Propulsion Technology

• Partnership: Manastu Space and Dhruva Space collaboration to test green propulsion for the LEAP-3 mission.

Project 200

• Bellatrix Aerospace Initiative: Prototype for a satellite designed to operate in ultra-low Earth orbit.

Space Docking Experiments

• Ananth Technologies: Assembled and tested SpaDEx satellites for ISRO, marking a significant milestone for private sector contributions.

Advancements in Space Science

Chandrayaan-3 Findings

• Crater Age Analysis: Recent studies reveal that the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is older than the South Pole Aitken Basin.

Astrosat Achievements

• Extended Mission Life: Originally designed for five years, it has successfully operated for nine years, with data supporting over 400 research publications.