NEW DELHI , Oct 17India plans to create its own space station by 2035 and send its own astronaut to the Moon by 2040, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a meeting to determine India's space exploration plans.
«Building on the success of Indian space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions, the Prime Minister directed that India must now strive for new and ambitious goals, including the establishment of an 'Indian Space Station' by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the moon by 2040,” the Prime Minister’s office announced following the meeting.
It is noted that the Prime Minister also encouraged Indian scientists to work on interplanetary missions that would include an orbiter for Venus and a lander for Mars.
During the meeting, the Indian Space Administration presented a comprehensive overview of the manned spacecraft. mission «Gaganyaan.»
«The meeting participants assessed the readiness of the mission, confirming its launch in 2025,» the Prime Minister's Office said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2018 approved the mission, called «Gaganyaan» for independently sending a national crew into orbit. The manned spacecraft is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The device has a mass of 8.2 tons, of which 5.3 tons is a habitable capsule. It is designed for a crew of three and is potentially capable of docking with the orbital station. The device will have to operate in an orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers for at least three days.