Why is it in the news?

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is on the verge of major advancements in space exploration, leveraging the success of its recent moon landing.
• Plans are in place for a Venus mission and further moon exploration, alongside the development of a new launcher that will involve the private sector.
• A green propulsion system and a low Earth orbit satellite, both developed by private companies, are expected to become operational soon.

Recent Government Approvals

• On September 18, the Union Cabinet approved several significant projects, including a new rocket and missions to the moon and Venus, signalling a pivotal moment for India’s space program. Preparations are also underway for the launch of the NISAR and Proba-3 satellites.
• The Cabinet authorized four missions under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program and four additional missions to test technologies for India’s first space station, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station 1, set for completion by 2028.
• Additionally, an uncrewed Gaganyaan flight was included, with total funding of ₹11,170 crore for these initiatives.
• The Cabinet sanctioned the development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) with a budget of ₹8,240 crore, which will cover the cost of the rocket’s first three developmental flights. This project will collaborate with industry to facilitate a seamless transition to operational flights after testing.
• A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Larsen & Toubro is expected to launch by late 2024 or early 2025, while New Space India Ltd. plans to select a private company to commercialize the LVM-3 rocket.

Venus and Moon Missions

• The Cabinet approved a scientific mission to Venus, the Venus Orbiter Mission, expected to launch in March 2028 at an estimated cost of ₹1,236 crore. This mission will investigate the planet’s harsh surface and atmosphere to understand the evolution of various planets in the Solar System.
• Additionally, the next Chandrayaan mission, Chandrayaan-4, aims to collect lunar samples. It will launch components on two separate LVM-3 rockets, which will dock in Earth orbit before heading to the moon near the Chandrayaan-3 landing site. This mission, set to launch by 2027, is expected to cost ₹2,104 crore.
• The Space Commission also approved a joint moon mission with Japan called the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX). For this project, ISRO is developing a new moon lander distinct from the one used in Chandrayaan-3, which may be utilized for future crewed lunar missions.
• Furthermore, the Commission has authorized the construction of a third launch pad at Sriharikota, essential for testing and launching the NGLV.

Space-Based Surveillance and Astronaut Training

• On October 11, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the third phase of the Space Based Surveillance (SBS) missions. For this initiative, ISRO will develop 21 satellites, while private companies will contribute another 31, with a total budget of ₹26,968 crore. This marks a significant upgrade from the four satellites built for SBS-1 in 2001 and six for SBS-2 in 2013.
• In a notable development, astronaut Sudhanshu Shukla had his space suit fitted and underwent pressurization tests at SpaceX headquarters, initiating his 10-day training program ahead of his flight to the International Space Station aboard the Axiom-4 mission next year.

Upcoming Satellite Launches

• The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), an Earth-observation satellite, recently received its radar antenna reflector in India from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in California.
• Earlier tests indicated the satellite might face higher-than-expected temperatures during launch, necessitating a protective coating. ISRO is expected to launch NISAR in early 2025 aboard a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.
• The European Proba-3 mission, designed to study the Sun’s corona, involves two satellites flying in formation. One satellite will observe the Sun while the other blocks its view to create an eclipse effect, allowing only the light from the corona to reach the cameras. Proba-3 is scheduled to launch on November 29 aboard a PSLV-XL vehicle, following India’s previous launch of Proba-1 in 2001.

Private Sector Contributions

• Manastu Space has signed an agreement with Dhruva Space to test its green propulsion technology for the upcoming Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Payloads (LEAP-3) mission, which will carry payloads from various companies in 2025. Manastu is developing a green propulsion system using hydrogen-peroxide-based fuel, having first tested it during the PSLV-C58 mission on January 1 this year.
• Bellatrix Aerospace has unveiled ‘Project 200,’ a prototype for a satellite capable of operating at an altitude of 200 km, categorized as ultra-low Earth orbit.
• Ananth Technologies has made history as the first private Indian company to assemble, integrate, and test two Space Docking Experiment (SpaDEx) satellites for ISRO, which were subsequently sent to the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

Recent Scientific Discoveries

• Recent findings indicate that the crater where Chandrayaan-3 landed is older than the South Pole Aitken Basin, estimated to be 4.2 to 4.3 billion years old. This conclusion was drawn from data obtained from the Optical High-Resolution Camera onboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and navigational cameras on the Pragyaan rover from Chandrayaan-3.
• Astrosat, India’s first multi-wavelength space observatory, initially had a mission life of five years but has now been operational for nine years. Based on fuel readings, it is expected to continue functioning for another two years, with data from the observatory forming the basis for over 400 published research papers.