Chandrayaan-4 mission in 'process of developing': ISRO chairman Somanath

ISRO chief S Somnath

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath on April 9 shared an update on India's next Moon mission and said that Chandrayaan-4 is in the 'process of developing'. Stating that space research is a continuous process, Somanath said India is on the trajectory of 'great progress'.

"ISRO is committed to its mission for the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set the country's target of landing on the Moon in early 2040s and ISRO is on a continuous exploration mission," he said while interacting with the media after attending the 20th anniversary of the Sat Paul Mittal School in Ludhiana.

Chandrayaan-4 mission's objective is to bring back rocks and soil from Moon to Earth. The successful execution of Chandrayaan-4 would position India as the fourth nation globally to achieve the capability of bringing back samples from the lunar surface.

Besides space research, the ISRO chief said that the organization is also engaging and involving students across the country in various technology development projects.

In August 2023, India created history with the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the surface of the Moon. The Vikram lander made a soft-landing over the lunar surface. With that, India became the fourth country in history to soft-land on the Moon after the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.