India has outlined an ambitious long-term space strategy that envisions a crewed lunar base by 2047 and eventual settlement on Mars, signalling its intention
to emerge as a major spacefaring nation. The roadmap was presented by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) during the National Space Day celebrations last week. According to the plan, ISRO aims to:
- Establish a human outpost on the Moon by 2047, complete with crew stations, lunar terrain vehicles and propellant depots to support interplanetary travel.
- Deploy 3D-printed dwellings on Mars, marking a potential first step towards extraterrestrial colonisation.
- Enable deep-space human missions over the next four decades.
The Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)
To achieve these goals, ISRO is developing the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV) — a super heavy-lift rocket standing 119 metres tall (40-storey equivalent), capable of carrying 80 tonnes to low Earth orbit and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar orbit. The LMLV is expected to be ready by 2035.
Currently, ISRO’s most powerful rocket, the GSLV Mark-III, can lift up to 8 tonnes to low Earth orbit and 4 tonnes to geosynchronous transfer orbit — a fraction of the new vehicle’s planned capacity.
“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.
Policy direction and milestones
The roadmap aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2023 directive, which set milestones of establishing the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
Recent missions are laying the groundwork: astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic stay aboard the International Space Station and the upcoming Gaganyaan crewed missions are considered stepping stones to India’s long-term vision.
Experts suggest that if realised, India’s lunar and Martian ambitions could reshape global space dynamics by offering new opportunities in resource mining, interplanetary logistics, and international collaboration.
With timelines stretching to 2047, India has placed itself on a multi-decade trajectory to join the league of advanced spacefaring nations with permanent human presence beyond Earth.
