NASA has confirmed that the Vikram lander from Chandrayaan-3 is currently acting as a marker at the South Pole of the Moon

New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) has introduced a testing platform to facilitate the advancement of futuristic cruise missiles or space probes such as the Gaganyaan. This platform enables aerodynamic studies of space capsules and cruise missiles navigating through the Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds of up to 10 km per second.

The creation of India's inaugural hyper-velocity expansion tunnel test facility, spanning three years, has received funding from the Department of Science and Technology and the Aeronautical Research and Development Board, under the backing of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with anticipated considerations for forthcoming space missions and defence endeavours.

In contrast, the facilities at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, are limited to testing speeds of only up to 4 km per second.

“Our facility can evaluate systems flying at a speed of 3-10 km per second, for which currently there is no test platform in India,” associate professor and team leader Mohammed Ibrahim Sugarno, at the department of aerospace engineering at IIT-Kanpur said according to Deccan Herald.

The creation of India's inaugural hyper-velocity expansion tunnel test facility, spanning three years, received funding from the Department of Science and Technology and the Aeronautical Research and Development Board, under the backing of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with anticipated considerations for forthcoming space and defence endeavours.

Prospective beneficiaries of this facility include the ambitious reusable launch vehicle program and the collaborative effort between India and Russia aimed at developing an extended-range iteration of the BrahMos cruise missile.

Some of India’ upcoming space missions that ISRO is preparing for are as follows:

NISAR, a collaborative space endeavour between NASA and ISRO, is designed to observe Earth's evolving ecosystems, dynamic terrain, and ice masses.

INSAT-3DS is focused on closely monitoring weather patterns, aiding disaster management efforts, and enhancing meteorological forecasts.

Gaganyaan-1 aims to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capabilities by sending a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission, ensuring their safe return to Earth.

Mangalyaan-2 (MOM 2) is dedicated to exploring Mars' surface, atmosphere, and climate conditions.

The X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite is dedicated to investigating the polarization of cosmic X-rays.

Shukrayaan-1 (Venus Orbiter Mission) aims to deploy a spacecraft into Venus' orbit to study its atmosphere for a duration of five years.

In the Interim Union Budget for 2024-25, the Department of Space has seen a modest increase of 4% in its allocation, rising from ₹12,545 crore to ₹13,043 crore.

Much of the upcoming year in the Indian space program will be dedicated to achieving pre-launch testing milestones for both the lunar exploration (Chandrayaan) and human spaceflight (Gaganyaan) missions, along with several other projects.

In 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) accomplished significant milestones, including the successful launch and execution of the long-awaited Chandrayaan-3 mission, aiming to softly land a robotic instrument on the moon.

Additionally, ISRO launched the Aditya-L1 mission to study the sun and the XPoSat mission, abbreviated for 'X-ray Polarimetry Satellite,' to observe and analyse neutron stars and black holes from space. India's participation in the Artemis Accords was also notable, signifying involvement in the United States' multilateral program to return humans to the moon by 2025.