The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Chandrayaan-4 Mission that would bring lunar rocks and soil to the Earth.


Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Chandrayaan-4 mission has been expanded to add more elements, including landing on the lunar surface, lunar sample collection, docking and undocking in the lunar orbit.


The government has also given approval to the Venus Orbitor Mission, Gaganyaan follow-on and Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) First and Next Generation Launch Vehicle development.






Speaking during a media briefing, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Chandrayaan-4 mission has been expanded to add more elements. The next step is to get the manned mission to the Moon. All preparatory steps towards this have been approved. Venus Orbiter Mission, Gaganyaan follow-on and Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Next Generation Launch Vehicle development also given approval."


The Chandrayaan-4 mission will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities eventually for a landing on the moon by 2040 and return safely back to Earth.


"Major technologies that are required for docking/undocking, landing, safe return to earth and also accomplish lunar sample collection and analysis would be demonstrated," a government said.


PM Modi said that cabinet's nod to Chandrayaan-4 would make India self-reliant in space technologies and boost innovation. 








"It would make everyone proud that Chandrayaan-4 has been cleared by the Cabinet! This would have multiple benefits, including making India even more self-reliant in space technologies, boosting innovation and supporting academia," PM Modi said in a post on X.


What Is Venus Orbiter Mission? 


The government is also planning to launch the Venus Orbitor Mission, country's first interplanetary mission to reach Venus' orbit and for scientific exploration and better understanding of the atmosphere and geology of Venus. The mission would generate a large amount of science data probing into Venus' thick atmosphere.


"The ‘Venus Orbiter Mission’ to be accomplished by Department of Space is envisaged to orbit a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of planet Venus for better understanding of the Venusian surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes and influence of Sun on Venusian atmosphere," the government statement said. 


The Venus Orbitor Mission is scheduled for March 2028 and the total cost of the project is Rs 1,236 crore. The study of the underlying causes of transformation of Venus, which is believed to be once habitable and quite similar to Earth, would be an invaluable aid in understanding the evolution of both Venus and Earth.


All About Bharatiya Anthariksh Station


The union cabinet also approved building the first unit of the Bharatiya Anatriksh Station by extending the scope of Gaganyaan program.


"Approval by the cabinet is given for development of first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) and undertake missions to demonstrate and validate various technologies for building and operating BAS. To revise the scope & funding of the Gaganyaan Programme to include new developments for BAS & precursor missions, and additional requirements to meet the ongoing Gaganyaan Programme," a government statement said.





Responding to the development, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, "Gaganyaan programme is underway, we have also given the schedule of our first mission with astronauts. Now, we have added the goal regarding Bharatiya Antariksh Station to this mission. Initially, this mission (Ganganyaan) had only one target, but now, it has five missions, so we have broadened the scope of it."