Delivering
a
major
update
on
India’s
space
objectives,
ISRO
Chairman
S
Somanath
announced
new
timelines
for
upcoming
missions,
including
the
ambitious
Gaganyaan
and
Chandrayaan-4
projects.
Speaking
at
the
Sardar
Patel
Memorial
Lecture
held
at
Akashvani,
Somanath,
he
provided
details
on
the
Gaganyaan
mission.
As
per
Somanath,
India’s
first
manned
space
endeavour
is
now
expected
in
2026.
He
revealed
that
Chandrayaan-4,
aimed
at
returning
samples
from
the
lunar
surface,
is
slated
for
launch
in
2028.
The
ISRO
chairman
shared
insights
into
India’s
joint
missions,
specifically
a
collaboration
with
Japan’s
space
agency
JAXA.
This
mission,
initially
referred
to
as
LUPEX
(Lunar
Polar
Exploration),
will
be
designated
as
Chandrayaan-5.
In
this
mission,
India
will
provide
the
lander
while
JAXA
will
supply
the
rover,
a
significant
upgrade
from
Chandrayaan-3’s
smaller
rover.
With
a
much
larger
payload
of
350
kg,
Chandrayaan-5
will
be
equipped
to
conduct
extensive
scientific
research
on
the
Moon’s
surface.
Focus
on
Indigenisation
and
Expanding
India’s
Role
in
the
Global
Space
Market
Addressing
the
audience,
Somanath
told
the
importance
of
self-reliance
in
space
technology,
acknowledging
the
progress
made
in
reducing
reliance
on
imports
but
stressing
that
more
needs
to
be
done.
He
highlighted
ISRO’s
aim
to
raise
India’s
stake
in
the
global
space
economy
from
its
current
2
per
cent
to
10
per
cent
in
the
next
decade.
Somanath
noted
that
this
expansion
would
require
collaboration
across
sectors.
He
encouraged
both
startups
and
established
companies
to
actively
engage
with
the
space
industry.
Private
Sector
Participation
and
Boosting
Innovation
in
Space
Somanath
mentioned
the
increasing
role
of
private
industries
in
India’s
space
sector.He
explained
that
ISRO
has
started
initiatives
to
involve
private
companies
in
space
exploration,
moving
away
from
its
usual
government-led
approach.
Citing
examples
such
as
private
companies
now
being
involved
in
rocket
manufacturing,
he
conveyed
optimism
about
the
emerging
partnership
between
ISRO
and
private
entities
in
India.
India’s
Astronomical
Legacy
and
Path
to
Global
Science
Contributions
Reflecting
on
India’s
contributions
to
astronomy,
Somanath
highlighted
the
country’s
history
of
observing
and
exploring
stars.
He
emphasised
the
significance
of
scientific
missions
like
Chandrayaan-3,
which
achieved
a
soft
landing
on
the
Moon,
as
well
as
Aditya-L1
and
Astrosat,
India’s
space
observatory,
which
have
provided
important
data.
According
to
Somanath,
these
missions
contribute
to
global
scientific
knowledge,
with
Astrosat
alone
having
led
to
hundreds
of
research
papers
and
doctoral
studies.