The Indian space agency has announced the country intends to put astronauts on the moon by 2040. This follows India's recent successful mission to land a probe on the lunar surface.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed the nation's commitment to space exploration in a meeting with the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation and the minister for science and technology.

Modi said the country should now aim for more ambitious goals. They include the manned lunar mission and building India's own space station by 2035.

In August, India became the first ever country to successfully land an unmanned lunar probe, the Chandrayaan-3, at the moon's south pole. The rover then collected data from the lunar surface.

The space agency says it is planning to send three astronauts into a low orbit around the earth in 2025.

China has already completed a space station. New Delhi's latest plans are seen as reflecting its goal to become one of the leading space explorers.