India to launch a deep-sea mission at the end of next year: Minister Jitendra Singh | India News – Times of India

New Delhi: India will be able to launch its deep-sea mission by the end of next year, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
He also said that by the end of next year, or perhaps in 2026, “we will have the first Indian in space.” At the same time, a crew will be sent to the seabed at a depth of 6,000 meters, which may be the maximum depth of the sea, Singh told a news conference.
While addressing the ‘State Policy Conclave 2024’, he said, “Exploring untapped or underdeveloped sectors is critical to achieving the India 2047 target” and underlined the need to explore sectors like the deep sea and the Himalayas.
Singh said marine resources is one such area that has yet to be fully explored. The deep sea has a huge concentration of natural resources, which need to be explored in such a way that they can contribute to the nation’s growth trajectory, he said.
The deep sea mission or Samudrayaan is an ambitious initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which focuses on developing technologies and capabilities for deep sea research. With Samudrayaan, India embarks on a manned expedition to reach a depth of 6,000 meters.

The historic journey will be accomplished by Matsya6000a deep-sea submarine designed to accommodate a crew of three. The decision to target a depth of 6,000 meters is strategically important due to the presence of valuable resources such as polymetallic nodules and sulphides.
Government working on new law to govern space sector: Singh
On the space front, Singh, who is also in charge of the space department, said the government is working on a new law to govern the space sector, which has been undergoing reforms in the last four years, with private players making their mark in the construction and launching satellites. He said Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight program, is also making good progress and the first unmanned mission is expected to be launched early next year.
India will achieve major milestones in space exploration with plans to set up its own space station, Bharat Antariksha Station, by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040, Singh said.
He also highlighted the significant progress made in satellite launches under the Modi government. Singh noted that India has launched 432 foreign satellites from Sriharikota, of which 397, almost 90%, were launched in the last decade alone.