The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has submitted the project report for the next generation rocket and is now seeking government funds. Chairman S. Somanath also discussed the internal discussions on the next moon mission and the country’s latest weather satellite INSAT-3DS. The next generation rocket is expected to be partially reusable and have a carrying capacity of about 10 tonnes to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), compared to the current carrying capacity of four tonnes. ISRO is also working on some novel designs for the rocket and will be seeking private industry collaboration for its development and mechanism establishment.
Somanath also mentioned that the next moon mission, Chandrayaan-4, needs to achieve something new that has not been done by others, such as bringing a lunar sample back using a robot. He emphasized the complexity of the rocket and the high-end technology being developed, highlighting the requirement for funds. Furthermore, he ruled out the use of the India-US collaboration earth observation satellite NISAR for surveillance, stating that it will be used only for earth observation.
Additionally, Somanath provided updates on other ISRO missions, including the country’s human space mission, Gaganyaan, which is scheduled for 2025. ISRO is planning two more abort missions in 2024, as well as two unmanned missions, helicopter drop tests, launchpad abort tests, and several others.
Overall, ISRO’s future plans include the development of a next generation rocket, the Chandrayaan-4 moon mission, and the progress of the Gaganyaan human space mission in 2025. The organization is seeking government funds and private industry collaboration for these ambitious projects.
