The Central government has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission which will set the stage for an Indian astronaut's landing on the Moon in 2040. According to an official release from the cabinet, Chandrayaan-4 has a budget of Rs 2,104 crore - significantly greater than the last three.

Chandrayaan-1 had a budget of Rs 386 crore whereas the next two missions were allocated Rs 978 crore and Rs 613 crore, respectively.

The budget for the fourth mission is to cover the costs of two rocket launches with the LVM3 rocket, development of two spacecraft stacks with multiple modules, conducting special tests for design validation and ensuring external deep space network support.

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Chandrayaan-4 will be a sample collection mission to bring rocks from the Moon. The first stack of the spacecraft will include the sample collection module whereas the second will include a propulsion module, transfer module and re-entry module.

While a specific timeline for the mission launch has not been revealed, ISRO estimates it will last 36 months.

Chandrayaan-4 is part of a series of Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan missions envisaged for landing an Indian on the Moon. It will also prove critical in laying the foundation of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) which the government aims to complete by 2035.

ISRO wants to launch the first space station module by 2028 and has reportedly got additional funds for its development.

Interestingly, the Centre has given a major boost to Gaganyaan with an allocation of whopping Rs 20,193 crore. ISRO is likely to launch the first test mission later this year and a manned mission in late 2025.

Additionally, Rs 1,236 crore has been set aside for a mission to explore Venus. It is expected to launch in 2028 to study the planet's atmosphere and geology.

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