India’s space program has come a long way since its inception in the early 1960s. From launching its first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975 to successfully conducting the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014, India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has achieved several milestones in its journey. However, India’s space ambitions don’t end here. In this article, we will take a look at some of India’s future space missions.
- Gaganyaan Mission: The Gaganyaan mission, which is India’s first manned space mission, aims to send three Indian astronauts into space by 2022. The astronauts will be launched into space onboard the Gaganyaan spacecraft, which will be powered by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III (GSLV Mk III). The spacecraft will orbit the Earth at an altitude of 400 km for a period of seven days.
- Chandrayaan-3: After the success of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which included the first-ever soft landing attempt on the Moon by an Indian spacecraft, ISRO is now gearing up for its next Moon mission – Chandrayaan-3. The mission aims to land a rover on the lunar surface and conduct further studies on the Moon’s geology and mineralogy.
- Aditya-L1 Mission: The Aditya-L1 mission, which is scheduled to be launched in 2022, aims to study the Sun’s corona, which is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. The mission will be equipped with a suite of instruments that will study the corona’s magnetic field, plasma and its dynamics.
- Venus Mission: ISRO is also planning a mission to Venus in the near future. The mission, which is still in the planning stage, aims to study the planet’s surface and atmosphere.
- Space Docking Experiment: ISRO is planning to conduct a space docking experiment in the near future, which will involve two spacecraft docking in space. The experiment is aimed at developing technologies for future space missions, including manned missions.
While India has made significant progress in its space program, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of funding. Despite the government’s efforts to increase funding for the space program, it still lags behind other space-faring nations.
Another challenge is the lack of infrastructure. India currently has only one launch site, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, which limits the number of launches that can be conducted.
Furthermore, India’s space program has been plagued by technical failures and setbacks, including the recent loss of contact with the Chandrayaan-2 lander during its descent on the lunar surface.
Despite these challenges, India remains committed to its space ambitions and is working towards developing new technologies and capabilities to achieve its goals. With the successful completion of future missions, India’s space program could pave the way for new discoveries and advancements in the field of space exploration.
