Why in News?

The Union Cabinet approves four important space endeavours to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the near future.

In total, the Cabinet cleared funds of more than ₹22,750 crore for the developmental costs of these four programmes, which are in line with the Vision 2047 mapped by the space agency.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What are the 4 Space Projects Approved by the Cabinet?
• About the Chandrayaan-4 Mission
• About the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM)
• About the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)
• About the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV)

What are the 4 Space Projects Approved by the Cabinet?

• Chandrayaan-4 - the 4th iteration of India’s lunar mission;
• The development of Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM);
• The building of the first unit of India’s indigenous space station, dubbed Bharatiya Anatriksh Station (BAS), by extending the scope of Gaganyaan programme; and
• The development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).

About the Chandrayaan-4 Mission:

• Budget allocated and launch date:
  • India’s 4th mission to the Moon, for which a budget of ₹2,104.06 crore was cleared, is slated for launch in 2027.
  • The approved cost for the mission includes -
    • Spacecraft development and realisation,
    • Two launches of Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3),
    • External deep space network support, and
    • Conducting special tests for design validation.
• Objectives:
• Chandrayaan-4 will be a remote mission, aiming to bring rock samples from the lunar surface back to Earth after a soft landing.
• It will build on the success of Chandrayaan-3, with which India became the first country to land a probe on the lunar south pole.
• Significance:
  • It will expand on the technology developed in Chandrayaan-3 by adding elements like lunar docking, precision landing, sample collection and a safe journey back to Earth.
  • This will make India even more self-reliant in space technologies, boosting innovation and supporting academia.
  • This mission will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities eventually for an Indian landing on the Moon (planned by year 2040) and return safely back to Earth.

About the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM):

• Budget allocated and launch date: The ₹1,236 crore VOM mission has set a target of March 2028. This will be India’s 2nd mission to a planet, after the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014.
• Objectives:
  • India’s first scientific mission to Venus involves sending an orbital spacecraft to study the planet closest to Earth.
  • It aims to enable scientists to better understand the Venusian atmosphere, and geology and generate data that gives information into the planet’s thick atmosphere.
• Significance:
  • Venus is thought to have developed under Earth-like conditions, but a runaway greenhouse effect caused the planet to deviate, rendering it inhospitable for life.
  • It offers a unique opportunity to understand how planetary environments can evolve very differently.

About the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS):

• Budget allocated and launch date:
  • India’s most ambitious space project and the Gaganyaan follow-on mission, the project saw a net additional funding of ₹11,170 crore.
  • The first module of the project (dubbed BAS-1) targets a launch in 2028 and the target to complete the entire project is for 2035.
• Objectives: BAS aims to establish an Indian space station that will orbit 400 km above the Earth’s surface. It will allow astronauts to stay in orbit for 15-20 days.
• Significance: The massive 52-tonne machine will serve as a research platform for Indian astronauts and scientists to conduct experiments in microgravity, astronomy, and Earth observation.

About the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV):

• Budget allocated and launch date:
  • In total, ₹8,240 crore was approved for NGLV, which includes development costs, three developmental flights, essential facility establishment, programme management and launch campaign.
  • It will take 96 months - with the first launch taking place in 84 months.
• Objective:
  • It will be a new launch vehicle that is capable of high payload, and will be cost-effective, reusable, and has the potential to be commercially viable.
  • This launch vehicle is one of the requirements for setting up of BAS.
• Significance:
  • NGLV will have three times the present payload capability with 1.5 times the cost compared to LVM-3.
  • It will also have reusability resulting in low-cost access to space and modular green propulsion systems.