In 2023, Indian science went for the Moon and reached for the Sun. What’s planned for 2024. According to the Indian Express, while the Moon-landing was the biggest achievement for Indian science in 2023, it pushed boundaries on both earth and in the sky. What are the key plans for 2024?

While the Moon landing was quite clearly the crowning glory for Indian science in 2023, the year also marked a definite shift in gears for India’s space program. From an agency with advanced capabilities in launching and placing satellites in orbits, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) took important steps towards becoming a full-fledged planetary exploration body.

This was one of the most productive years for ISRO, which carried out seven successful missions, including the two high-profile ones — Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, India’s first mission to the Sun. 

The year ended the relatively lean streak for the space agency in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, which seemed to have badly disrupted its schedule, affecting even the human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, originally planned for 2022; with several preparatory tests still remaining, Gaganyaan is now scheduled for 2025.