Chennai: India will launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission to bring back samples of moon rocks to the Earth in 2027, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said.
Chandrayaan-4 will involve at least two separate launches of the heavy-lift LVM-3 rocket that will carry five different components of the mission which will be assembled in orbit.
“The Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to collect samples from the moon’s surface and bring them back to the Earth,” Singh told PTI Videos in an interview.
The minister said the Gaganyaan mission, which involves sending Indian astronauts in a specially designed spacecraft to low-earth orbit and bringing them back safely, will be launched next year.
In 2026, India will also launch Samudrayaan, which will take three scientists in a submersible up to a depth of 6,000 metres in the deep ocean, to explore the seabed.
“This achievement will align with the timelines of India’s other landmark missions, including the Gaganyaan space mission, marking a pleasant coincidence in the nation’s journey toward scientific excellence,” Singh said.
Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the Samudrayaan mission in his Independence Day speech.
The minister underscored the potential of the Samudrayaan to unlock vast resources, including critical minerals, rare metals, and undiscovered marine biodiversity, all of which are crucial for the country’s economic growth and environmental sustainability.
The first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan project carrying a robot, ‘Vyommitra’, will also take place this year.
Singh said that while the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established in 1969, it took more than two decades to set up the first launch pad in 1993.