V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space, participated as the Chief Guest at the Graduation Day ceremony of the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Narayanan said Isro plans to conduct the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test within the next two months.
“The Chandrayaan-4 module will weigh 9,600 kg, compared with the 3,900-kg module of Chandrayaan-3. The mission is scheduled for 2028,” Narayanan said. Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will send a 350-kg rover to the Moon, where it will conduct experiments for 100 days, compared with the 14-day duration of experiments during the Chandrayaan-3 mission. As many as 455 students, including those from nursing, clinical research and occupational therapy, received their degrees on Saturday.
Narayanan said Isro was planning to bring back samples from the Moon in its next mission. He also defended the decision to involve private companies in operating the upcoming spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam, saying it would help strengthen the country’s space ecosystem and meet the growing requirement to launch more satellites. We are planning to take the module aboard two rockets and dock them in space before landing on the Moon. The institute’s chancellor, V R Venkataachalam, and others attended the event.