India is aiming to achieve a historic milestone by landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040, according to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan. Speaking at a scientific gathering in Hyderabad, he outlined an ambitious roadmap for the country’s space programme, focusing on human spaceflight, advanced lunar missions, and space infrastructure development. 

The plan includes multiple precursor missions under the Gaganyaan programme, with three uncrewed flights scheduled before a crewed mission. ISRO is also working on future lunar missions such as Chandrayaan-4, which aims to bring back samples from the Moon, and Chandrayaan-5, featuring advanced lander and rover systems. 

In addition, India plans to establish its own space station by 2035, with the first module expected to be launched by 2028. The agency is also exploring missions to Mars and Venus, alongside developing next-generation launch vehicles capable of carrying heavier payloads. 

The announcement reflects India’s growing ambitions in space exploration and its commitment to becoming a major global space power in the coming decades.