NEW DELHI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- India's federal junior minister in the Prime Minister's Office, in-charge of the Department of Space, Jitendra Singh Wednesday said India has planned to send its astronaut to the moon by 2040.
The minister made the statement in the lower house of the Indian parliament while replying to a question.
"India had a plan to set up its space station which will be known as Bharatiya Antriksh Station (Indian space station) and if everything goes as per plan, an Indian astronaut will be on the moon by 2040," Singh said.
India has already announced that it will have its space station by 2035.
The minister further said Chandrayaan-4 (moon mission) will be launched through two launch vehicles and it will have five components. ■
