PM Modi: Indian astronauts to land on Moon, target Mars, Venus

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s growing confidence in space exploration, stating that Indian astronauts will soon leave their footprints on the Moon. Speaking at the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX-2025), Modi highlighted that Mars and Venus are also part of India’s future missions. He emphasized that India's space program is not a race but a journey to achieve higher goals together for the benefit of humanity.

Modi announced plans to establish the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. He also mentioned the country's upcoming Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for early 2027, as a key milestone in India's rising space ambitions. Additionally, he revealed that an Indian astronaut will soon travel to space as part of a joint ISRO-NASA mission to the International Space Station, with the Axiom-4 mission set to launch on May 29.

Reflecting on India’s space achievements, Modi noted that India has been a pioneer, having launched a satellite for South Asian nations and planned a G20 satellite as a gift to the Global South. He also mentioned the historic success of India’s Mars mission in 2014, Chandrayaan-1’s discovery of water on the Moon, and the remarkable images from Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.

Modi concluded by stressing that India’s space journey is a symbol of curiosity, courage, and collective progress, with significant contributions to global scientific advancement.