ISRO Outlines Roadmap with Major Missions Planned Through 2035
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning several major space missions over the next decade, including the launch of Chandrayaan-4 by 2028 and India’s own Space Station by 2035. This information was shared by Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, in a recent interview with PTI.
Chandrayaan-4: India’s First Lunar Sample-Return Mission
Chandrayaan-4 mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024, will utilise two different rockets, Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). These launch vehicles will launch different components of Chandrayaan-4, which will be assembled in orbit. Scheduled for launch by 2028, this mission will mark India’s first attempt to collect and return lunar soil and rock samples, making India the fourth nation to achieve this milestone after the US, Russia, and China.
Speaking on Chandrayaan-4, Dr. Narayanan said that this mission is “India’s most complex lunar endeavour yet”.
The total estimated cost for Chandrayaan-4 is Rs. 2,104.06 crore, covering spacecraft development, two LVM-3 launches, external deep space network support, and specialised design-validation tests. This also includes a lunar landing and safe return of collected samples to Earth.
The Chandrayaan 4 mission is a major step forward after ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which landed on the lunar south pole on 23rd August 2023.
Bharatiya Antriksh Station: India’s Own Space Station by 2035
Alongside Chandrayaan-4, ISRO is planning for India’s first space station, expected to be launched by 2035. According to a PIB release from the Ministry of Science & Technology dated 26th October 2025, the station will be known as the “Bharatiya Antriksh Station”. The estimated cost for this mission will be between Rs. 12,000 crore to Rs. 15,000 crore.
The project involves launching five modules, with the first scheduled for 2028. The fully assembled station will weigh 52 tonnes and is designed to support long-duration human space missions, facilitate microgravity research, and boost Earth-observation capabilities.
Other Key Missions: Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-5
Apart from Chandrayaan-4 and the space station program, ISRO has also planned two other major missions, namely, Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-5.
Gaganyaan is India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission, targeting to send a crew of three astronauts to a 400 Km Low Earth Orbit for a three-day mission before safely returning to Earth. ISRO is targeting to send its first crewed human spaceflight in 2027. The budget for India’s Gaganyaan mission is Rs. 20,193 crore. The mission will use the human-rated LVM-3 (HLVM-3) and the test flight for this mission is scheduled for December 2025. This mission will make India the fourth nation with independent human spaceflight capability.
Chandrayaan-5, to-be-jointly developed by India and Japan, is also known as the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission. It will feature an Indian lander and a Japanese rover exploring the Moon’s south pole to study volatile materials, especially water ice, in permanently shadowed regions. The mission will be launched aboard Japan’s JAXA’s H3-24L rocket. However, the cost for this mission has not been officially announced yet.
About Indian Space Research Organisation: ISRO is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It was founded in 1969 by Mr. Vikram Sarabhai. It is primarily responsible for space-based operations, space exploration, international space cooperation and the development of related technologies.
