Work on Chandrayaan 3 in full swing, training for Gangayaan mission to start by month-end: ISRO chief

Indian Space Research Organisation K Sivan said on Wednesday said that work on Chandrayaan-3 has started and is in full swing.

The third lunar mission will have a configuration similar to Chandrayaan-2, equipped with the lander and a rover, and will land on the same location where the Vickram-lander for the previous mission crashed.

The central government has green-lit the Chandrayan-3 lunar mission.

"Government has approved Chandrayan-3, the project is ongoing. The land acquisition for a second spaceport has been initiated and the port will be in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu." [sic] Sivan was quoted by ANI.

Being asked on the possibility of sending a manned mission to the moon, the ISRO chief said that "definitely someday but not immediately."

He further added that four astronauts have been shortlisted to go to Russia for the Gangayaan mission and the training will begin by this month-end.

"4 astronauts have been short-listed and they will go to Russia for training by this month-end. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma flew in a Russian module, but this time the Indian astronauts will fly in an Indian module from India. We all know that scientific discoveries, economic development, education, tech development & inspiring youth are coming goals for all nations. Human space flight provides perfect platform to meet all these objectives " Sivan said.

"Gaganyaan Mission is not just about sending a human to space, this mission provides us with opportunities to build a framework for long term national and international collaborations & cooperation," he added.

The Gaganyaan mission is focused on sending astronauts to space for a minimum of seven days by 2022 in an orbital spacecraft.

Russia is backing India in its first manned mission to space—Gaganyaan which will be sent by 2022 by training the astronauts.

The Rs 10,000 crore Gaganyaan project was announced by PM Modi during his Independence day speech on August 15th, 2018. After this manned mission, India will become the 4th country after Russia, US and China to send humans in space.