Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that an Indian astronaut will travel to the surface of the moon on his own rocket. “By 2035, India will have its own space station in space that will help us study the unknown expanses of space. In this period of Amrit Kaal, Indian astronaut will land on the surface of the moon on our own rocket,” said Modi.

He then said that 21st century India is becoming an active global player, making significant strides in all sectors. “In the last 10 years, we have launched about 400 satellites, whereas 10 years before that, only 33 satellites were launched,” the Prime Minister added.

Modi also announced the names of four astronauts who will take part in India’s first manned space programme Gaganyaan, scheduled to be launched between 2024 and 2025. The four Indian Air Force pilots are Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. They were trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia.

“India’s success in the space sector is sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the country’s young generation,” Prime Minister Modi said.

In 2023, India achieved a successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the south pole of the moon and successfully launched Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission. This is reported by ANI, a partner of TV BRICS.

These achievements not only strengthen India’s position in the global space economy, but also stimulate the development of the private space sector in the country.

African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS.