India, March 19 -- Indian Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said the country's Chandrayaan 4 mission, which will feature multiple advanced docking technology and lunar sample collection, is poised to be a major step toward India's goal of establishing its own space station by 2040.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Singh highlighted the importance of Chandrayaan-4 in strengthening India's space capabilities.

"This mission will not just be about landing on the Moon but also about mastering docking and undocking procedures, a key requirement for future interplanetary missions and space station operations," he said.

The Minister further noted that India's long-term objective includes sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon, with Chandrayaan-4...