Venus Voyage: ISRO's Shukrayaan Mission Gets Green Signal From Government

The Indian government has officially approved the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) ambitious Shukrayaan mission to Venus. The mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2028, will research the planet's rich atmosphere, geological features, and weather patterns.

Commenting on the acceptance, Nilesh Desai, Director, ISRO, said, "The Indian government has recently given a nod to our Venus Orbiting Satellite, Shukrayaan. It will be launched in 2028."

Along with Shukrayaan, Desai has announced plans for Chandrayan 4, a follow-up to the successful Chandrayan 3 mission. This lunar mission will be a collaborative effort with Japan to explore the Moon's south pole. Though the project has not yet received complete permission, the ISRO chief is confident about the government's response.

Desai stated, "Chandrayaan 4 will consist of two missions. India and Japan will be doing a joint mission where we will go to the tip of the Moon's south pole at 90 degrees south as compared to our last attempt of 69.3 degrees south. It will be a precise landing."

Apart from these projects, ISRO is working to improve its weather and communication systems. Desai has also addressed plans for future Mars expeditions. As part of the Mars project, ISRO plans to not only deploy a satellite in Mars' orbit but also attempt to land on its surface as well as build a space station.