The Union Cabinet has approved the new moon mission Chandayaan-4 and the development of the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM).
This undertaking is part of the government's objective to explore and research Earth's closest planets. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be responsible for the development and launch of the spacecraft and will effectively manage and monitor the project through its established practices.
The Chandrayaan-4 mission will cost Rs 2104.06 crore. The mission is expected to be completed within 36 months of approval with the participation of industry and academia.
Chandrayaan-4 project includes the development of spacecraft and its realisation, an external deep network, two LVM3 launches and conducting special tests for design validation. The mission will focus on developing and demonstrating technologies for returning to Earth after a successful moon landing, as well as collecting lunar samples for analysis back home.
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The cabinet allocated Rs 1,236 crore for VOM, out of which Rs 824 crore will be spent on the spacecraft. The cost includes the development and realisation of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for navigation and network, as well as the cost of the launch vehicle.
The data obtained from the mission would be shared with the scientific community through the existing mechanisms that are in place.
Scientists have conducted research and found that the planet Venus was formed in similar conditions to Earth. It is believed to have been similar to earth and habitable once.
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The research would allow the study of the unique shaping of the planetary environments and understanding the evolution of both planets.
The missions are part of the expanded vision for the Indian Space programme as part of Amrit Kaal. The Indian government has set its sights on an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and landing on the moon by 2040.
