Chairman S Somnath has announced that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to send Indian astronauts to the Moon by 2040, following the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. In an article for Manorama Yearbook 2024, he stated that ISRO’s next step in space exploration is the Gaganyaan program. This program aims to launch a crew of 2 to 3 Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit (LEO) for a duration of three days, after which they will be safely returned to a predetermined site in Indian waters. The Gaganyaan mission has selected four test pilots from the Indian Air Force as “astronaut-designates” who are currently undergoing mission-specific training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. The first Gaganyaan mission will focus on testing critical technologies such as a human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle, an orbital module comprising a crew module and service module, and multiple life support systems. Prior to the crewed mission, two unmanned missions will be conducted. It is important to note that these missions are separate from air drop tests, pad abort tests, and test vehicle flights. ISRO has already completed the TV-D1 mission on October 21, 2023, which successfully tested the in-flight abort capabilities of the crew escape system. The crew module used in this mission was safely recovered from the Bay of Bengal by the Indian Navy. Chairman Somnath emphasized the significance of this test flight before proceeding with future missions. He also mentioned that the manned Gaganyaan mission is expected to be launched in 2025.
Somnath further emphasized the significance of the Aditya L1 solar exploration mission as a crucial endeavor undertaken by ISRO. This mission aims to investigate the Sun’s characteristics from Lagrange Point 1, utilizing seven scientific instruments that were all developed domestically. Commenced on September 2 of the current year, this five-year mission is scheduled to be positioned in a halo orbit around L1 by 2024.