ISRO to triple spacecraft output, launch Chandrayaan-4 in 2028: Chairman
Kolkata (PTI): ISRO is gearing up for one of its busiest times with seven more launches planned this financial year, even as India's first human spaceflight remains scheduled for 2027, its chairman V Narayanan said.
In an interview with PTI, he said ISRO is preparing for a phase of rapid scaling in science, technology and industry capacity.
Narayanan said ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is targeting seven more launches before the end of the current financial year, including a commercial communication satellite, and multiple PSLV and GSLV missions. A milestone will be the launch of the first PSLV manufactured entirely by the Indian industry.
The ISRO chief said the government has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, designed as a lunar sample-return mission and it will be India's most complex lunar endeavour yet.
"We are targeting 2028 for Chandrayaan-4," he said.
Another key mission is LUPEX, the joint lunar polar exploration programme with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
ISRO is simultaneously working to triple its annual spacecraft production in the next three years to keep pace with expanding mission demand.
Chandrayaan-4 will attempt to bring back samples from the moon -- a capability currently demonstrated only by the US, Russia and China.
LUPEX aims to study water ice at the lunar south pole.
Narayanan said ISRO has begun work on an Indian Space Station, targeted for completion by 2035.
"The first of the five modules will be placed in orbit by 2028," he said.
The endeavour would make India the third major nation to operate a space station, as the US-led ISS nears its end and China's Tiangong moves into full operation.
On India's maiden human-spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, Narayanan clarified that only the timeframe for uncrewed missions has shifted.
"Let me make it clear: the uncrewed mission was targeted for 2025. The crewed mission was always planned for 2027, and we are holding on to that date," he said.
Three uncrewed test missions will precede the first flight with Indian astronauts.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also directed ISRO to work towards sending Indian astronauts to the lunar surface and bringing them back safely by 2040.
India's long-term human-spaceflight plan now aligns it with the world's leading space powers. The US plans lunar crewed missions under Artemis, while China has set a 2030 target for its first crewed moon landing.
India's share in the global space economy is currently around 2 per cent, and ISRO is working towards increasing it to 8 per cent by 2030, Narayanan said.
India's space economy is currently valued at around USD 8.2 billion and is projected to grow to USD 44 billion by 2033, while the global space economy, he said, stands at about USD 630 billion currently and could reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2035.
He said the space-sector reforms have sharply increased private participation.
Narayanan said more than 450 industries and 330 startups are now active in India's space ecosystem -- a massive rise from just three startups a few years ago.
"We now have a vibrant base ecosystem, and it will grow further," he said.
India's private space industry has accelerated post regulatory reforms in 2020, enabling private rocket development, satellite manufacture and commercial launch services.
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T20 WC star Samson named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March
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Dubai (PTI): India opener Sanju Samson was on Tuesday named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March, capping a stellar run that saw him play a defining role in the team's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign.
Samson did not get to play in the early part of the tournament but was the standout performer in the big games towards the end and helped India retain the title.
His latest honour also extends a unique streak, with players from different countries winning the award over the past five months including South Africa's Simon Harmer, Australia's Mitchell Starc, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan.
"Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling, especially as it comes during what has been the most unforgettable phase of my cricketing journey. Playing a part in India's triumph at the Men's T20 World Cup was truly a dream realised, and it took some time for the magnitude of that moment to fully sink in," Samson said.
"This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I feel grateful for the opportunities I've received, and for the trust and support from my team-mates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best."
Not a regular part of the playing XI in the initial stages of the tournament, Samson was eventually called up for India's must-win Super 8 fixtures. After starting off with 24 against Zimbabwe, he picked form and didn't look back.
The opener missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs, but his attacking 97 not out set up India's spot in the semifinal.
A blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede helped India to 253 for 7, and the target proved elusive for the English who missed out by seven runs on March 5.
An equally amazing 89 was churned out during India's successful title defence in Ahmedabad, securing a 96-run win.
In the three crucial T20Is he was a part of in March, Samson notched up 275 runs at an astonishing average of 137.50 and a stunning strike rate of 199.27.
This is the first time that Samson has secured an ICC Men's Player of the Month honour.
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr won the women's honour for the third time, after an outstanding series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Taking over the white-ball teams from Sophie Devine, Kerr's captaincy seemed to have brought out the best in her with both the ball and the bat. In the Zimbabwe ODI series, she managed to snap 16 wickets in just three matches, including her career-best figures of 7/34.
Additionally, she also contributed with the bat, being the third highest run-scorer in the ODIs, scoring 140 runs across three games with an average of 46.67 in the counting month.
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