NEW DELHI: Isro Chairman V. Narayanan has outlined the organization’s upcoming space exploration goals, including the landmark Gaganyaan human spaceflight program scheduled for 2027 and two crewed lunar missions — Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 — eyed for 2028, provided all plans stay on track.Narayanan said these missions are advancing under the “visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, and the next phase will include three uncrewed flights before sending Indian astronauts into space.“With the visionary leadership of PM Modi, we are working on the Gaganyaan program targeted for 2027. Three uncrewed missions are to happen, and we are working towards them. Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 are both crewed missions, and if everything goes as per plan, it will happen by 2028,” said V. Narayanan.He added that the exact date for the first uncrewed mission hasn’t been finalized yet, but development work is actively ongoing.Narayanan confirmed that both Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 are approved programs, progressing according to their targets.He also highlighted Isro’s focus on developing reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology, which aims to make space missions more cost-effective and sustainable.“We have only an experimental program right now, and we are working towards that,” he said.When asked about comparisons with SpaceX, the Isro chief firmly stated that India’s space program is focused on national priorities, not competition.“We don’t consider this as competition with anybody because the Indian space program is meant for India. Strength only respects strength. If you don’t have a vibrant space program, no one will support you,” he remarked.Narayanan also said Isro’s work is aimed at benefiting the common man and strengthening India’s space economy.“Under the visionary leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister of India, we have set a target to increase the space economy from 2% to 8%. We are working towards that,” he said.According to Narayanan, all committees are assessing current projects, including PSLV data analysis, to improve future missions. Emphasizing Isro’s learning-based approach, he said every challenge offers insight.“We don’t consider anything a setback. Everything is for learning,” he concluded.
