Giving information about the decisions taken in the Union Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that along with the extension of Chandrayaan-4 mission, many other decisions have been approved. There is a plan to send a mission to Venus by expanding Gaganyaan. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new lunar mission Chandrayaan-4 to develop and demonstrate the technology required to land Indian astronauts on the Moon and bring them back safely to Earth.
Chandrayaan-4 mission to send humans to the Moon
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said on the decisions of the Union Cabinet that the Chandrayaan-4 mission has been extended and its next step is to send a human mission to the Moon. All the preliminary steps in this direction have been approved. Along with this, Venus Orbiter Mission, Gaganyaan Follow-on and Indian Space Station and Next Generation Launch Vehicle Development have also been approved. He said that the Cabinet has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, under which moon rocks and soil will be brought to Earth.
There is a plan to land Indian astronauts on the Moon by 2040
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Chandrayaan-4 mission will acquire the basic technology to land Indian astronauts on the Moon (by the year 2040) and return them safely to Earth. It will demonstrate the key technologies required to complete docking/undocking, landing, safe return to Earth and lunar sample collection and analysis.
Rs 2,104 crore needed for Chandrayaan-4
According to the information, the total fund requirement for the technology demonstration mission Chandrayaan-4 is Rs 2,104.06 crore. ISRO will be responsible for the development and launch of the spacecraft. The mission is expected to be completed within 36 months of approval with the participation of industry and academia. All critical technologies are envisaged to be developed indigenously.
Venus Orbiter Mission approved
The Union Cabinet has also approved the Venus Orbiting Mission (VOM) to carry out scientific research on Venus and better understand its atmosphere, geology and collect large amounts of scientific data by probing its dense atmosphere. Giving further information, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the Cabinet has approved the Heavy Next Generation Launch Vehicle to place a payload of 30 tonnes into Low Earth Orbit.