Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India’s ambitious plans to launch its own space station by 2035 during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. PM Modi highlighted India’s rapid progress in space exploration and technology, envisioning a future where Indian astronauts will explore the moon’s surface using indigenous rocket technology.
“By 2035, India will have its own space station in space that will help us study the unknown expanses of space. In this period of Amrit Kaal, Indian astronauts will land on the surface of the moon on our own rocket,” PM Modi said.
He highlighted India’s progress in space technology, pointing out the significant increase in satellite launches over the past decade.
Expressing pride in India’s accomplishments, PM Modi said that most of the equipment used in the Gaganyaan mission is ‘Made in India,’ reflecting the nation’s advancing capabilities in space technology.
PM Modi also introduced the four astronauts selected for India’s inaugural human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch in 2024-25. The chosen Indian Air Force pilots—Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla—underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
Addressing the audience at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, PM Modi said: “India’s success in the space sector is sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the country’s young generation.”
The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India’s capability for human spaceflight by launching a crew of three members into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission and safely returning them to Earth, landing in Indian sea waters.
Prior to the manned mission, several precursor missions are planned to demonstrate technology readiness levels, including Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV) flights.
India’s LVM3 rocket, renowned for its reliability, has been designated as the launch vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission.
India’s recent achievements, including the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s South Pole and the launch of Aditya-L1, its first solar mission, have propelled the nation to new heights in the global space arena.
(Inputs from ANI)