New Delhi: India’s space agency ISRO is gearing up for its most ambitious lunar mission yet, targeting 2028 for Chandrayaan-4, a sample-return mission that aims to bring back up to 3 kilograms of lunar soil from near the Shiv Shakti landing site. The government has approved this mission, which will mark India’s entry into a select group of nations—the US, Russia, and China—that have achieved lunar sample return.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan announced the plan amid a busy schedule for the current financial year. The agency has seven launches lined up, including commercial communication satellites and multiple PSLV and GSLV rocket missions. Notably, ISRO will launch the first PSLV fully manufactured by an Indian industrial consortium led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro in February 2026 as part of its scaling-up efforts.

This phase heralds an important expansion in ISRO’s science, technology, and industrial capacity. The agency aims to triple its annual spacecraft production over the next three years to meet growing demand from government and commercial customers alike.

Alongside lunar exploration, ISRO is laying the groundwork for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India's own space station planned for completion by 2035. The first of five modules is targeted for launch by 2028, which will make India the third country, after the US and China, to operate a space station.

This ambitious expansion aligns with India's rapidly growing space economy, currently valued at around $8.2 billion and expected to reach $44 billion by 2033. The space sector ecosystem includes more than 450 industries and 330 startups, reflecting a surge in private sector participation and innovation.

On the human spaceflight front, ISRO confirmed the timeline for its Gaganyaan mission remains on track. Three uncrewed test flights will precede the first crewed mission, set for 2027. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed ISRO to aim for an Indian crewed lunar landing by 2040.

The Chandrayaan-4 mission, with its focus on sample return, will be a quantum leap in India’s lunar exploration capabilities, complementing the successful Chandrayaan-3 landing in 2023.