Space
Chandrayaan-4 Mission
- ISRO Chairman, V. Narayanan, announced plans to launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission by 2028.
- The mission aims to land a rover on the Moon, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth for experiments — India’s first sample-return lunar mission.
- International Collaboration: Japan has partnered with India for this mission.
- Major design upgrades compared to Chandrayaan-3:
- Lander weight: 6,800 kg (vs. 1,600 kg in Chandrayaan-3)
- Rover weight: 350 kg (vs. 25 kg earlier)
Future ISRO Plans
- ISRO is building a 52-tonne space station, targeted for completion by 2035.
- A manned mission to the Moon is planned for 2040.
- A new heavy-lift rocket, as tall as a 40-storey building, is under construction for future missions.
Current Satellite Capabilities
- India currently has 57 satellites in orbit.
- They support: broadcasting, telecom, tele-education, telemedicine, earth observation, disaster management, real-time train tracking, and fisheries monitoring.
Latest inventions in science and technology
Aircraft Hansa-3 NG
- The Union Minister for Science & Technology launched India’s first indigenous production-version pilot trainer aircraft Hansa-3 NG at CSIR-NAL, Bengaluru.
- Hansa-3 NG is a two-seater, next-generation, all-composite trainer aircraft designed for Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training.
- It is the first fully indigenous trainer aircraft ready for serial production in India’s civil aviation ecosystem.
- Developed by: Designed and developed by CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru.
- CSIR-NAL is also developing the SARAS Mk-2, a 19-seater Light Transport Aircraft for both civilian and military use.
- It is the first Indian multi-purpose civilian aircraft in the light transport aircraft category.
