 "Cabinet clears Chandrayaan-4, Venus Orbiter Mission for space exploration")
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the new moon mission Chandrayaan-4 and approved the development of the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) as part of the government’s vision to explore and study the Earth’s closest planet.
The Chandrayaan-4 will develop and demonstrate the technologies to come back to Earth after successfully landing on the moon and also collect lunar samples for analysis on Earth. VOM, scheduled to launch in March 2028, will focus on putting a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of Venus for a better understanding of its surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes, and the influence of the sun on the Venusian atmosphere.
The Chandrayaan-4 mission will cost Rs 2104.06 crore. The budget includes spacecraft development and realisation, two LVM3 launches, external deep space network support, and conducting special tests for design validation, finally leading to the landing on the moon’s surface and safe return to Earth along with the collected lunar samples.
Major technologies that are required for docking/undocking, landing, safe return to Earth and also accomplishing lunar sample collection and analysis would be demonstrated. The mission is expected to be completed within 36 months of approval with the participation of industry and academia.
The Cabinet allocated Rs 1,236 crore for VOM, of which Rs 824 crore will be spent on the spacecraft. The cost includes the development and realisation of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for navigation and network, as well as the cost of the launch vehicle.
Venus is believed to have formed in conditions similar to Earth. The planet offers a unique opportunity to understand how planetary environments can evolve very differently. The VOM to be accomplished by the Department of Space is envisaged to orbit a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of Venus. This is to study the underlying causes of the transformation of Venus, which is believed to have once been habitable and quite similar to Earth. The exploration would be an invaluable aid in understanding the evolution of the sister planets, both Venus and Earth.
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Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will be responsible for the development of the spacecraft and its launch. The project will be effectively managed and monitored through the established practices prevailing at Isro. The data generated from the mission would be disseminated to the scientific community through existing mechanisms.
The Indian Venus mission is expected to answer some outstanding questions resulting in various scientific outcomes. The realisation of the spacecraft and launch vehicle is through various industries and it is envisaged that there would be large employment potential and technology spin-off to other sectors of the economy.
The Indian government has outlined an expanded vision for the Indian space programme during the Amrit Kaal that envisages an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and the Indian landing on the moon by 2040.
To realise this vision, a series of Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan follow-on missions are envisaged including the development of associated space transportation and infrastructure capabilities. The successful demonstration of the safe and soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the lunar surface has established vital technologies and demonstrated capabilities that only a few other nations possess. A natural successor to the successful landing mission is the demonstration of the ability to collect lunar samples and return them safely back to Earth
The moon mission project will be effectively managed and monitored through the established practices prevailing at Isro. All the critical technologies are envisaged to be indigenously developed. The mission would enable India to be self-sufficient in critical foundational technologies for manned missions, lunar sample return and scientific analysis of lunar samples.
Towards realisation, the Indian industry would be significantly involved. A plan is already in place to engage Indian academia through Chandrayaan-4 science meets and workshops. This mission will also ensure the establishment of facilities for the curation and analysis of the returned samples, which will be national assets
Cabinet nod to new launch vehicle for manned space missions
The Union Cabinet chaired has approved the development of Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), that will be a significant step towards the vision of establishing and operating the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and towards developing capability for Indian Crewed Landing on the Moon by 2040. NGLV will have three times the present payload capability with 1.5 times the cost compared to current LVM3, and will also have reusability resulting in low-cost access to space and modular green propulsion systems. The total fund approved is Rs 8240.00 crore and includes the development costs, three developmental flights, essential facility establishment, Programme Management and Launch Campaign.