India, May 7 -- In the coming weeks, an Indian astronaut will travel to space as part of a joint ISRO-NASA Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his video message at the Global Conference on Space Exploration 2025 taking place in Delhi from May 7 to 9.

"By 2035, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station will open new frontiers in research and global cooperation. By 2040, an Indian's footprints will be on the Moon. Mars and Venus are also on our radar," PM Modi said during his address.

He said, for India, space is about exploration as well as about empowerment.

"It empowers governance, enhances livelihoods, and inspires generations. From fishermen alerts to GatiShakti platform, from railway safety...