Indian Space

PM Narendra Modi asked scientists to aim to send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040 and set up an Indian space station by 2035, said an official statement. He gave these directions during a meeting to review the preparedness of the Gaganyaan mission and the first demonstration flight of the crew for October 21. "The meeting evaluated the mission’s readiness, affirming its launch in 2025," the statement said.

India's Chandrayaan-3 has landed near the Moon's south pole. The successful Moon mission has made India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface after the US, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union, and the first to land a craft near the Moon's south pole. The lander Vikram captured several images of the lunar surface during the power descent, showing a portion of the landing site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually launch the Indian Space Association (ISpA) and will also ''interact with its leading stakeholders'' on October 11 at 11 AM. Reportedly, the ISpA is an association of space and satellite companies such as Larson & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Bharti Airtel, Aerospace Private Limited. ''Those interested in the world of space and innovation must watch the programme,'' PM Modi said.