India's Ambitious Space Plans: 3D-Printed Homes on Mars and Lunar Missions by 2040!

India's Vision for Space Exploration

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish 3D-printed habitats on Mars and initiate precursor missions aimed at landing humans on the Red Planet within the next 40 years. This strategic roadmap was developed following extensive consultations across the nation, culminating during the National Space Day celebrations held recently.

As part of this vision, India aims to construct a crew station on the Moon by 2047, engage in resource mining, operate crewed lunar vehicles, and establish propellant depots to facilitate interplanetary missions and support astronauts on the Moon.

ISRO is also working on enhancing its launch vehicles to accommodate payloads of up to 150 tonnes in a single mission. Currently, the GSLV Mark-III can transport payloads of 4 tonnes to geosynchronous transfer orbit and 8 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO).

The agency is developing the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV), which will have the capacity to carry 80 tonnes to LEO and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar orbit. Standing at 119 meters tall, equivalent to a 40-story building, the LMLV is expected to be operational by 2035 and will be utilized for lunar missions, including India's first human mission to the Moon scheduled for 2040, as stated by chairman V Narayanan.

In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set ambitious goals for ISRO, including the establishment of the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040, highlighting the government's commitment to advancing the space sector.

The recent journey of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission, along with the upcoming Gaganyaan missions, underscores the government's dedication to supporting sustained human spaceflight initiatives.

The Prime Minister has also urged ISRO scientists to explore deep space to uncover the universe's mysteries for the benefit of humanity.