<p>The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Chandrayaan-4 Mission that would bring lunar rocks and soil to the Earth.</p>
<p>Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Chandrayaan-4 mission has been expanded to add more elements, including landing on the lunar surface, lunar sample collection, docking and undocking in the lunar orbit.</p>
<p>The government has also given approval to the Venus Orbitor Mission, Gaganyaan follow-on and Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) First and Next Generation Launch Vehicle development.</p>
<p>Speaking during a media briefing, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Chandrayaan-4 mission has been expanded to add more elements. The next step is to get the manned mission to the Moon. All preparatory steps towards this have been approved. Venus Orbiter Mission, Gaganyaan follow-on and Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Next Generation Launch Vehicle development also given approval.”</p>
<p>The Venus Orbitor Mission is the country’s first interplanetary mission to reach Venus’ orbit and for scientific exploration and better understanding of the atmosphere and geology of Venus. The mission would generate a large amount of science data probing into Venus’ thick atmosphere.</p>
<p>The Venus Orbitor Mission is scheduled for March 2028 and the total cost of the project is Rs 1,236 crore. </p>