ISRO Extends Lunar Lander Life

The India — ISRO (ISRO), in collaboration with the India — Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is developing advanced artificial heating systems to extend the operational life of future lunar landers from the current 14 days to 100-200 days. This initiative, announced by ISRO Chairman Barath Narayanan, aims to overcome the challenge of surviving the Moon's extreme cold lunar night, which previously limited missions like Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander. The technology will protect spacecraft electronics and instruments, enabling longer scientific experiments and data collection. This development is crucial for India's long-term lunar presence goals, including establishing a space station and landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, the India — Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has funded three Indian space startups, BioServe Space Technologies, SatSure, and General Atomics, under its Technology Adoption Fund scheme, further supporting India's growing space ecosystem.