India has set ambitious space exploration goals, aiming to send an astronaut to the moon by 2040 and establish an indigenous space station named the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035.
These directives were issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country's space department, reported Reuters.
India achieved a significant milestone in space exploration when it became the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the unexplored south pole of the moon in August. This achievement was particularly notable as it occurred shortly after a similar Russian mission failed, solidifying India's position as the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Following this accomplishment, India has been actively pursuing further space exploration endeavours. The country recently launched a rocket for the purpose of studying the sun and is scheduled to conduct a test later this week as part of its crewed space mission.
The government's statement emphasised that Prime Minister Modi has set forth a visionary agenda for India's space exploration, including the establishment of the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035 and the goal of sending the first Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040.
The Department of Space has been tasked with developing a roadmap for moon exploration to realise these ambitious objectives.
Prime Minister Modi has also encouraged Indian scientists to work on missions beyond the moon, with a specific focus on missions to explore Venus and Mars.