India has released an ambitious space project strategy, outlining plans to establish a crewed station on the Moon, 3D-printed dwellings on Mars, and conduct deep-space exploration over the next four decades. The blueprint, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) following statewide consultations, was presented last week during National Space Day celebrations.
According to the roadmap, ISRO plans to create a lunar base by 2047, complete with resource mining facilities, crew-operated terrain vehicles, and refuelling depots for interplanetary travel. A human landing on the Moon has been scheduled for 2040, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions issued last year, which also included the establishment of the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035.
To achieve these goals, ISRO is developing the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV), a 119-meter rocket that can carry 80 tonnes to low Earth orbit and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar orbit. The LMLV is expected to be operational by 2035, allowing crewed lunar missions. Currently, the agency’s most powerful rocket, the GSLV Mark III, can transport payloads weighing up to 8 tonnes to low Earth orbit.
