William Atkins
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 20:43
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 4
India wants to join Russia, the U.S. and China by independently placing one of its own citizens into space. You can call it India's national desire, but it’s really a race to the Moon with China and Japan. Whatever the reason, it is a good way to heat up healthy competition for Earth's exploration of outer space.
The Indian government has set aside Rs 12,400 crore (that is 12,400,000,000 rupees [12.4 billion rupees], or about US$2.5 billion or £1.7 billion) for its Indian Space Research Organization (
ISRO)—the India counterpart to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States.
India wants to launch a manned mission into space by the year 2015, and now it has the money to back up this energetic venture.
According to a Friday, February 20, 2009 announcement by Indian’s Planning Commission, which is chaired by the Indian Prime Minister, the manned space proposal was approved and the money appropriated for a mission into space for two Indian astronauts.
According to IndianExpress.com’s article
Plan panel okays ISRO manned space flight, the Planning Commission’s deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia stated,
“We had a good meeting. The general inference is that ISRO has done an expert job and it needs to be supported. The Planning Commission will support it.”
The ISRO has been directed to develop, first, an umanned flight in 2012 or 2013, designated
Chandrayaan-II, and, upon its success, a manned mission in 2014 or 2015, named,
Chandrayaan-III.
Page two describes the task ahead of India in their program to send an Indian citizen to space.
