Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)

GS 3 – Science and technology

Context:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing its most powerful rocket yet—the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)—to boost India’s capabilities in space exploration.

Highlights

• Primary Purpose: LMLV is designed for lunar missions and aims to support India’s first human landing on the Moon by 2040.
• Replacement and Support: This rocket will replace the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) plan and contribute to India’s space station program development.
• Size: The LMLV will stand as tall as a 40-story building, much larger than the current LVM-3 model.

Technical Details

• Payload Capacity:
  • Up to 80 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
  • Up to 27 tonnes to the Moon, suitable for human-rated spacecraft.
• Design:
  • Partially reusable super heavy-lift rocket with three stages.
    • First two stages use liquid propellants.
    • Third stage uses cryogenic propellant.
  • Equipped with strap-on boosters taller than the entire LVM-3 rocket, with 27 engines in the first stage (core plus boosters).
• Timeline: Expected completion by 2035, reflecting ISRO’s long-term commitment to space exploration.

Future Missions Enabled by LMLV

• Human Lunar Mission (Target 2040): Capable of carrying crew modules weighing 18–20 tonnes for India’s first astronaut landing on the Moon.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): Will support deployment of heavy modules for India’s planned five-module space station by 2035.
• Lunar Cargo Missions: Can transport approximately 27 tonnes to the Moon, aiding infrastructure and logistics development on the lunar surface.

Deep Space Exploration: Heavy-lift capacity enables potential interplanetary missions in the 2040s, extending India’s reach beyond the Moon.