India will launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission to bring back samples of moon rocks to the Earth in 2027, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said.
Chandrayaan-4 will involve at least two separate launches of the heavy lift LVM-3 rocket that will carry five different components of the mission which will be assembled in orbit.
“The Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to collect samples from the moon’s surface and bring them back to the Earth,” Singh told a news agency.
The minister said the Gaganyaan mission, which involves sending Indian astronauts in a specially designed spacecraft to low-earth orbit and bringing them back safely, will be launched next year.
The Union Minister had earlier said the space economy has grown to $8 billion and is projected to touch $44 billion in the next decade.
Milestones like the indigenous Gaganyaan Mission, the upcoming Chandrayaan-4 (2027), Shukrayaan (2028), and the Indian Space Station (2030) showcase India’s robust trajectory.
India will also launch Samudrayaan, which will take three scientists in a submersible up to a depth of 6,000 metres in the deep ocean, to explore the seabed in 2026.
Samudrayaan will unlock vast resources, including critical minerals, rare metals, and undiscovered marine biodiversity, all of which are crucial for the country’s economic growth and environmental sustainability.
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According to Singh, the past decade’s reforms, including private sector involvement in space, have fostered greater innovation, increased investment, and expanded international collaboration.
