Indian Space Station by 2035, astronauts on moon by 2040: PM to Isro

Buoyed by the success of the Chandrayaan mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday set ambitious goals for Isro, asking them to set up an Indian Space Station by 2035 and send the first Indian to the moon by 2040.

Modi's directions came during a briefing by Isro Chairman S Somanath on the progress of the Gaganyaan mission, which is to have its first demonstration flight of the crew escape system on October 21, and other initiatives.

India's first human space flight is now expected to take off in 2025, a PMO statement said after the meeting.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister outlined the future of India's space exploration endeavours and urged scientists to work towards interplanetary missions, including a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander and also explore the moon in greater detail.