Bengaluru: India has unveiled an ambitious space roadmap that envisions 3D-printed habitats on Mars and human missions to the Red Planet within the next four decades. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared the plan after a series of nationwide consultations, culminating at the National Space Day celebrations last week.
As part of this long-term strategy, ISRO aims to establish a permanent crew station on the Moon by 2047. The roadmap also includes resource mining, deploying crew-operated lunar terrain vehicles, and setting up propellant depots to fuel interplanetary missions. These facilities would support astronauts during extended stays on the lunar surface.
To achieve these goals, ISRO is developing next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicles. At present, the GSLV Mark-III can transport up to 4 tonnes to geosynchronous transfer orbit and 8 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO). In comparison, the upcoming Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV), currently under development, will be capable of carrying 80 tonnes to LEO and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar orbit. Standing 119 meters tall, nearly the height of a 40-storey building, the LMLV is expected to be ready by 2035. ISRO plans to use it for future lunar expeditions, including India’s first human mission to the Moon, scheduled for 2040.
The roadmap builds on targets set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023, which include constructing the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and placing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. Recent milestones, such as astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station on a commercial mission and the upcoming Gaganyaan program, highlight the government’s commitment to advancing human spaceflight.
Prime Minister Modi has also urged ISRO to pursue deep space exploration missions, aimed at unlocking new scientific knowledge and delivering benefits for humanity.
