Space Vision 2047: India Eyes Own Space Station And Manned Moon Landing Within The Next 15 Years

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday (23 August) announced that an Indian will land on the surface of Moon, fifteen years from now, in the year 2040.

Addressing a gathering at Bharat Mandapam on the occasion of the first-ever National Space Day, Singh, who is the Minister of State for Space, reflected on India’s remarkable achievements in space exploration and its ambitious future goals.

Singh highlighted the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's South Pole on 23 August 2023, a feat that astonished the world and established India as a leader in space exploration.

The minister recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that 23 August would be celebrated nationwide as National Space Day, and the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 would be named ‘Shiv Shakti Point.’ 

"In the last six decades, India has not only touched the lives of its citizens but also reached the Moon," said Singh.

He emphasised the significant progress made in the past decade, including the successful Mars Orbiter Mission, the launch of AstroSat, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3, the Aditya-L1 solar mission, and the XPoSat, an X-Ray astronomy mission.

Singh also outlined the Space Vision 2047, which includes the commissioning of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by 2035 and Indian astronauts landing on the Moon by 2040.

He expressed confidence that what begins with human spaceflight in Low Earth Orbit through the upcoming Gaganyaan Mission will expand to India’s own scientific activities onboard an indigenous space station, leading to further lunar exploration and beyond.

The Minister credited the policy support and leadership provided by Prime Minister Modi since 2014 for accelerating scientific missions and unlocking the potential of India’s scientific community.

He also noted the significant increase in Space startups, now numbering nearly 300, following the opening of the Space sector to private participation.

The minister also echoed the Finance Minister’s projection that India’s space economy will grow from $8 billion to $44 billion in the next decade.

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