Govt approves Chandrayaan-4 expansion with Rs 2,104 crore allocation to bring lunar rocks and soil to earth | India News – Times of India

The Union cabinet has approved significant expansions to India’s space exploration initiatives, including the Chandrayaan-4 mission, Gaganyaan follow-up missions, and the Venus Orbiter Mission.
Speaking on the decisions, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today announced, “Chandrayaan-4 has been expanded with additional elements, and the next step is a manned mission to the Moon.Preparatory steps have been approved. The Venus Orbiter Mission and development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle have also been greenlit.”
Following the success of Chandrayaan-3, the Modi government has allocated Rs 2,104 crore to Chandrayaan-4 that entails bringing lunar rocks and soil to earth, with a mission timeline of 36 months. The mission will consist of two spacecraft stacks featuring five modules. Stack 1 will focus on lunar sample collection, while Stack 2 will handle propulsion, transfer, and re-entry of samples back to Earth.

The mission, set to launch with upgraded LVM-3 rockets, aims to land on the lunar surface, collect samples, and return them to Earth. Chandrayaan-4 will involve complex docking and undocking operations in lunar orbit, marking a significant advancement in India’s space capabilities.

In April 2024, ISRO had already outlined plans for Chandrayaan-4, which includes sending two rockets—LVM-3 and PSLV—to facilitate the ambitious mission of returning lunar regolith to Earth.