India promises to put man on the moon by 2040 says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri declared on Friday that India's lunar exploration endeavors are set to reach new heights, with the Chandrayaan-3 mission marking just the beginning. Puri affirmed India's commitment to sending a man to the moon by 2040, emphasizing the government's unwavering support for the space sector.

Speaking at a press conference, Puri stated, "Today, we declare with openness and clarity that Chandrayaan-3 is the initiation of a larger mission. India pledges to achieve a manned lunar landing by 2040. Similarly, our vision extends to transforming India into a developed nation by 2047 during the Amrit Kaal. The Gaganyaan projects are designed to demonstrate our human spaceflight capabilities, further solidifying our commitment to lunar exploration by 2040."

The Gaganyaan project, a pivotal part of India's space aspirations, aims to showcase human spaceflight capabilities by launching a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission, making India the fourth nation to undertake a manned spaceflight mission after the US, Russia, and China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) for achieving another significant milestone in space technology. In response to ISRO's announcement, Modi congratulated the organization on social media, stating, "Congratulations @isro. Another technology milestone achieved in our future space endeavors includes our goal to send an Indian to the Moon by 2040."

Highlighting a unique experiment, ISRO explained that the Chandrayaan-3's Propulsion Module successfully transitioned from a lunar orbit to an Earth orbit. This innovative maneuver involved an orbit-raising and Trans-Earth injection, showcasing India's prowess in space exploration.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched on July 14, 2023, aimed to demonstrate a soft landing near the lunar south polar region and conduct experiments using the instruments on Vikram and Pragyaan. Vikram Lander's historic touchdown on the Moon on August 23 and the subsequent operation of Pragyan rover fulfilled the mission objectives, marking a remarkable achievement for India's space exploration program.

(With input from ANI)