Chandrayaan 4-5 design complete; 70 satellites likely to be launched in 5 years, says ISRO head

S Somanath

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed the design for the next round of moon missions – Chandrayaan 4 and 5 – and is in the process of seeking government approval for the same, the space agency's Chairman S Somanath said on August 20.

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.

"We have a series of missions to go to the moon. Chandrayaan-3 is over. Now, design for Chandrayaan 4 and 5 has been completed and we are seeking approval of the government," Somanath told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of an event organized by the All India Council for Technical Education and Indian Space Association.

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Earlier, the ISRO officials had said that the targeted launch for Chandrayaan-4 mission was 2028.

Somanath also said that the space agency was planning to launch 70 satellites over the next five years, including a constellation of low earth orbit satellites to meet the requirements of different ministries and departments of the government.

These 70 satellites include four for the NAVIC regional navigation system to provide positioning, navigation and time service, INSAT 4D weather satellites, the Resourcesat series of satellites, Cartosat satellites for remote sensing and high resolution imaging, he said.

ISRO is also planning to develop the Oceansat series of satellites and technology demonstration satellites 01 and 02 to demonstrate electric propulsion systems, and quantum key distribution technologies, Somanath said.

The ISRO was also developing data relay satellites for the Gaganyaan mission, high throughput satellites for providing internet connectivity and GSAT satellite which was getting ready for shipping to the US for launch on a Falcon rocket of SpaceX, he said.

Somanath said the space agency was also planning to launch a series of earth observation satellites over the next five years.

The ISRO chief said the mission to Venus, earlier being planned by the agency, has been put on the backburner.

"We are re-evaluating the mission," he said.

Somanath said the first unmanned mission of the Gaganyaan project was scheduled for launch in December this year.

All the stages of the rocket have already reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, he said.

The Crew Module is getting ready at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram and the service module was under integration at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bangalore, Somanath said. The Crew Escape system has already reached Sriharikota.

"All systems are reaching Sriharikota in the next one to one-and-a-half month where final testing and integration will happen," he said.

(With PTI inputs)