Astronomy & Astrophysics Mega Science Vision 2035

India’s Advancements in Astronomy and Space Research

India is enhancing its astronomy and space research capabilities with significant budget allocations and new projects. The budget has earmarked  Rs 13,416.20 crore for the Department of Space for 2026-27, prioritizing deep-space exploration and astrophysics.

Key Projects and Allocations:

• Development of the 30-m National Large Optical-Infrared Telescope and the National Large Solar Telescope near Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
• Completion of COSMOS-2 planetarium in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
• Upgrading the control systems of the Himalayan Chandra Telescope in Hanle, Ladakh.

Global Context and Challenges:

India is joining the ranks of countries like the U.S., China, Japan, and the EU, which prioritize astronomy research and invest substantially in upgrading their telescopes. However, issues of underutilized budgets and bureaucratic challenges persist.

Domestic Capabilities and Collaborations:

• Building domestic capabilities is crucial to reduce reliance on foreign facilities and data.
• Large-scale observatories face financial and technological challenges, necessitating international collaborations.

Current Infrastructure and Initiatives:

• India’s infrastructure includes advanced platforms like the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune.
• Data processing centers with AI-driven data analysis capabilities are being developed.
• Increasing public-private partnerships in space research are fostering innovation.

Challenges and Future Prospects:

• India lacks comparable optical telescopes and telescopes operating in sub-millimeter wavelengths.
• Efforts are underway to address these gaps as part of the Astronomy & Astrophysics Mega Science Vision 2035.

These initiatives are expected to not only enhance India’s research capabilities but also encourage local talent to pursue advanced research within the country, mitigating the brain drain in this field.

LIGO-India (for Gravitational Waves):

• What it detects: Gravitational waves — tiny ripples in space-time itself, created when massive things like black holes or neutron stars crash into each other billions of light-years away.
• Simple analogy: Imagine dropping a stone in a pond — it makes ripples. Gravitational waves are like invisible ripples in the “fabric” of space caused by huge cosmic collisions. Normal telescopes can’t see them; LIGO “feels” these ripples.
• India’s role: LIGO-India will be India’s own version (the third full LIGO detector after two in the USA). It’s under construction in Hingoli, Maharashtra. Building started recently (around 2025), and it should be ready by around 2030.

Square Kilometre Array (SKA) (for Radio Astronomy):

• What it detects: Radio waves from space — very faint signals from the early universe, distant galaxies, hydrogen gas, pulsars (spinning neutron stars), and possibly signs of alien life or cosmic dawn.
• Simple analogy: It’s like building the world’s biggest radio antenna farm (thousands of dishes spread over huge areas) to listen to the quietest “whispers” from the universe. Normal radio telescopes are small; SKA will be like combining many into one giant ear with a collecting area of 1 square kilometer!
• India’s role: India is a full member (joined formally in 2024). Indian scientists and industries are helping build parts, especially software for data handling and some hardware. India is committing a lot of money and people to this global project (sites mainly in Australia and South Africa).

Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) (for Optical/Infrared):

• What it detects: Visible light and infrared (heat) from stars, planets around other stars (exoplanets), distant galaxies, black holes, and maybe even signs of life on other worlds.
• Simple analogy: Imagine a telescope mirror 30 meters wide (about the size of a 10-story building) — way bigger than Hubble or current ones. Bigger mirror = sharper, clearer pictures of very far-away or faint things, like reading a book from miles away.