India charts plan for Mars settlement and crewed lunar base by 2047

India has outlined a long-term space roadmap that includes building 3D-printed dwellings on Mars, setting up a crew station on the Moon, and launching human missions to deep space within the next four decades. The plan was drawn up by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after nationwide consultations and presented during the National Space Day celebrations last week.

According to the roadmap, ISRO aims to establish a human outpost on the Moon by 2047. The plans include mining for resources, deploying crewed lunar terrain vehicles, and setting up propellant depots to support interplanetary missions. These facilities are expected to provide logistics support for astronauts and enable missions to Mars.

To meet these goals, ISRO is working on a new launch vehicle, the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV). With a height of 119 metres, equal to a 40-storey building, the LMLV is being designed to lift 80 tonnes to low earth orbit and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar orbit. It is targeted for readiness by 2035. Currently, ISRO’s most powerful rocket, the GSLV Mark-III, carries up to 4 tonnes to geosynchronous transfer orbit and 8 tonnes to low earth orbit.

“ISRO plans to use the LMLV for lunar missions, including the first human mission to the Moon, planned for 2040,” ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said last week.

The roadmap follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2023 directive, which set goals to build the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s recent trip to the International Space Station and the upcoming Gaganyaan missions are seen as stepping stones toward this long-term vision.

The prime minister has also asked ISRO scientists to prepare for deep space exploration with the aim of advancing knowledge of the universe and contributing to humanity.

with PTI inputs