ISRO Chairman S. Somanath Unveils New Timelines for Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan Missions, and Emphasizes Space Sector Growth

ISRO Chairman Somanath revealed updated timelines for upcoming missions such as the Gaganyaan manned space mission slated for a 2026 launch and the Chandrayaan 4 sample return mission planned for a 2028 launch date. Additionally, he affirmed that the delayed India-US joint NISAR mission is on track for a launch, in the coming year.

ISRO Chairman Unveils Timelines for Missions

Somanath shared these developments during the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture, at Akashwani (All India Radio). According to The Indian Express report on October 26th he mentioned that India’s goal is increasing its portion of the space economy from 2% to at least 10%, in the next ten years. Furthermore, Somanath mentioned that Chandrayaan 4 is set to be a venture for a moon landing mission along with Japan’s space agency JAXA.

The original mission was called LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration and is yet to have a set schedule but is anticipated to occur sometime after 2028 according to the speaker’s remarks. The upcoming mission will feature a rover with a weight of 350 kg as opposed to the 27 kg rover used in Chandrayaan 3. Somanath highlighted the importance of India undergoing a significant transformation in order, for it to be recognized as an advanced economy He also praised Elon Musk for his groundbreaking contributions in the space sector mentioning that Musks achievements have spurred initiatives within ISRO.

During his speech, at the convocation of the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Delhi he mentioned that India is now ranked as the 5th largest economy globally but emphasized the need for technological advancements for further growth. He emphasized the importance of acquiring expertise in areas, like propulsion systems and materials science such as orbital dynamics in space exploration research and development efforts. He praised the government’s steps to encourage investments, in the space industry and expressed confidence that this move would accelerate advancements while cutting costs and enhancing India’s competitiveness. 

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