इसरो प्रमुख एस। सोमनाथ के अनुसार, चंद्रमा अन्वेषण के हित चल रहे हैं, चंद्र सतह से चट्टानों को पुनः प्राप्त करने पर वर्तमान ध्यान केंद्रित करने के साथ।

Encouraged by the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, S Somanath, the chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), emphasized on Thursday that the fascination with the moon persists. The space agency is now setting its sights on bringing back rocks from the lunar surface.

Addressing an audience at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) as part of the ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan Vimarsh Shrinkhala,’ Somanath revealed details about a 'sample return mission' dedicated to retrieving rocks from the moon. "Our interests on the moon are far from over. I assure Rashtrapati Ji that we will bring back some moon rocks ourselves," Somanath stated. He acknowledged the challenges of the mission, emphasizing the need for advanced technology to ensure a successful landing, recovery, and return from the moon.

Describing the sample return mission as 'highly intricate,' Somanath highlighted the autonomy required in its execution, with no direct human involvement. He conveyed that the ISRO team is currently in the process of designing this complex mission, expressing the ambition to accomplish it within the next four years. The audience responded with applause to this ambitious timeline.

Throughout his approximately 40-minute presentation, Somanath also mentioned the ongoing mission to send an Indian into space.