Union Cabinet approves Chandrayaan -4 Mission to collect lunar sample

The Union Cabinet approved the Chandrayaan -4 mission in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 September 2024.  

The Chandrayaan -4 mission will collect lunar samples from the moon's surface and bring them back to Earth. Only three countries—the United States of America, Russia, and China—have successfully brought lunar soil back to Earth.

According to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, the ultimate goal is to land an Indian astronaut on the lunar surface by 2040 and successfully return them to Earth.

ISRO to lead the Chandrayaan -4 mission

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which launched Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, and Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, will be responsible for the Chandrayaan-4 mission. 
• ISRO has been allocated a budget of Rs 2104.06 crore for the Chandrayaan -4 mission to be completed in 36 months.
• All the necessary technologies will be developed indigenously with the help of the Indian industry.
• The allocated budget includes the cost of spacecraft development, two launch vehicle missions of LVM3 rockets, external deep space network support and conducting special tests for design validation etc, 
• The success of the Chandrayaan -4 Mission will pave the way for the landing of an Indian astronaut (Gaganyatri) on the moon's surface.

Human Mission to the Moon 

The government of India approved an ambitious space programme during the Amrit Kaal. It envisages a mission to Venus, a functioning Indian Space Station named Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, and an Indian landing on the surface of the Moon by 2040.

India’s premier space agency, ISRO, will spearhead all these missions. It will lead in developing the necessary technologies and infrastructure in association with academia and the private sectors.

China and USA Mission to Land Humans on the Moon

• China has announced its plan to send Chinese astronauts to the moon by 2030 and ultimately build a research base station at the moon's south pole. 
• Recently, China became the first country in the world to successfully bring back the lunar soil sample from the south pole of the moon through its Chang’e 6 mission.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America has launched the Artemis Mission, under which it plans to land astronauts on the moon's south pole in September 2026. 
• It also plans to build a lunar station on the moon’s south pole, and the first flight for this purpose is expected to take place in 2028.