India will build its own space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the moon and back by 2040, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan announced on Sunday.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) in Kurnool, Dr. Narayanan shared India’s big plans for the future of space exploration.

“By 2035, we are going to build our own space station, and by 2040, we are going to send our own human being, our brother or sister, to the moon,” he said, addressing students, their families, and faculty members.

Dr. Narayanan recalled the humble beginnings of India’s space journey. He said ISRO first launched a small 17-metre rocket that could carry just 35 kilograms. Today, India builds rockets as tall as 40-storey buildings, able to carry up to 74,000 kilograms.

He pointed out India’s recent progress, including the Aditya mission, which made India one of only four nations to send a satellite to study the Sun. “It has provided an abundance of valuable data to the scientific community,” he added.

India among few nations to master docking tech

The ISRO chairman also spoke about India’s successful docking test earlier this year, an advanced space manoeuvre mastered by only a few countries in the world.

He said the agency is now working on a mission to send a satellite around Venus and is launching many rockets and satellites, with active support from private space start-ups.

Aiming for a Viksit Bharat through innovation

“What began as a humble effort, where rockets were transported on bicycles, has now witnessed phenomenal growth. Today, the entire world is watching us,” he said.

Dr. Narayanan added that these achievements align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). “By 2040, India will be on par with any other country in the field of space technology,” he said.

A total of 206 students graduated from IIITDM during the event, which included 183 B.Tech., 19 M.Tech., and four Ph.D. degree holders.


You might also be interested in - From growing methi to studying muscles: Key experiments by ISRO on ISS