On Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the expansion of the Chandrayaan mission, following the successful landing of its third phase, which included a lander and rover on the Moon. The Cabinet also greenlit the Venus Orbiter Mission, plans for a follow-up to the Gaganyaan mission, the development of an Indian space station, and a next-generation launch vehicle.

What is Chandrayaan-4?
Chandrayaan-4 is designed to develop and demonstrate technologies for returning lunar samples to Earth after a successful landing on the Moon.

What is the Venus Orbiter Mission?
The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) will focus on exploring Venus’s atmosphere and geology, aiming to gather extensive scientific data by studying its dense atmosphere.

India’s Space Station by 2028
The Cabinet also approved the construction of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India’s own space station for scientific research. Currently, the only operational space stations are the U.S.-led International Space Station and China’s Tiangong. The BAS is planned to launch its first module by 2028.

Future Gaganyaan Missions
Furthermore, the Cabinet approved additional missions for the Gaganyaan project and the development of a next-generation launch vehicle. Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed testing and handed over the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).