Future lunar and space ambitions unveiled

New Delhi – ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has announced that the Indian space agency is actively developing Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, strengthening India’s long-term lunar exploration roadmap. Alongside these missions, ISRO is also preparing for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and an ambitious Indian space station.

Project timelines and key milestones

  • Chandrayaan-4 will be a complex lunar sample-return mission, targeted for early 2027. The mission aims to collect lunar regolith from the Shiv Shakti landing site region and bring it back to Earth, making it one of ISRO’s most challenging scientific endeavours.

  • Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX), being developed in collaboration with the Japanese space agency JAXA, will carry a heavier rover weighing nearly 250 kg. It is designed to explore the Moon’s south pole and sustain operations through the long lunar night. The mission received formal government approval in March 2025.

  • Gaganyaan programme is expected to take a major step forward in December 2025 with an uncrewed launch featuring the humanoid robot Vyommitra. A crewed mission is scheduled for early 2027, marking a historic first for India. Authorities have already declared 2025 as the “Gaganyaan Year.”

  • Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) is part of the long-term vision, with the first module planned for 2028 and a fully operational station by 2035.

    • ISRO’s larger vision

    Narayanan emphasised that these lunar and human spaceflight missions are stepping stones towards India’s broader goal of becoming a top spacefaring nation by 2040. The long-term roadmap includes sending Indian astronauts to the Moon using fully indigenous technologies, a feat that would place India among the global leaders in space exploration.

    Strategic and scientific importance

    The upcoming missions highlight ISRO’s growing technological expertise and international partnerships. Chandrayaan-4 will showcase India’s ability to perform a sample return, a feat achieved by very few countries. Chandrayaan-5 will deepen India’s collaboration with Japan and advance scientific understanding of the Moon’s polar regions. Meanwhile, the Gaganyaan programme will demonstrate India’s capability to independently send humans into space, while the space station project will ensure long-term presence in low Earth orbit.

    Conclusion

    India’s space programme is entering a defining phase with Chandrayaan-4, Chandrayaan-5, Gaganyaan, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station. With missions spread across the next decade, ISRO is laying the foundation for India’s emergence as a major global space power by 2040.