Chandrayaan-4 to launch in 2027, Samudrayaan in 2026: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

India will launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission in 2027 to bring back moon rock samples to Earth, according to Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh. The mission will involve at least two launches of the heavy-lift LVM-3 rocket to carry and assemble the mission's five components in orbit.

Singh stated that the Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to collect and return lunar surface samples. "The Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to collect samples from the moon's surface and bring them back to the Earth," Singh told PTI in an interview.

He also said the Gaganyaan mission, which will send Indian astronauts to low-Earth orbit, will launch next year. 

In 2026, India will launch Samudrayaan, which will take three scientists in a submersible to explore the seabed at depths up to 6,000 meters. This aligns with India's other major space initiatives, including Gaganyaan.

"This achievement will align with the timelines of India's other landmark missions, including the Gaganyaan space mission, marking a pleasant coincidence in the nation's journey toward scientific excellence," Singh said.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the Samudrayaan mission in his Independence Day speech. Singh noted its potential to uncover valuable resources and marine biodiversity crucial for India's economic and environmental goals.

This year, India will also conduct an uncrewed Gaganyaan mission with a robot named Vyommitra. Singh said India's space sector has seen unprecedented expansion in the past decade in terms of infrastructure and investment.

As per Singh, it took more than two decades after the establishment of ISRO to set up the first launch pad. While ISRO was established in 1969, the first launch pad was set up in 1993. 

The second launch pad came up after almost a decade in 2004. "We are now building a third launch pad and for the first time for heavier rockets, and expanding also beyond Sriharikota with a new launch site in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district to launch small satellites," Singh said.

India's space economy is currently valued at $8 billion and is projected to reach $44 billion in the next decade, cementing the country's status as a global space power. Reforms like opening the sector to private players have driven greater innovation, investment, and international collaboration.