India's giant leap over China in moon race

Targets 2015 landing date, two years before Himalayan neighbour

SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is confident of sending the first Indian to the moon by 2015. If successful, it would beat the Chinese in the moon race as that country plans to send its first astronaut by 2017.

India’s premier space agency has already begun forming teams for the manned moon mission. MC Dathan, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, said they have already decided to use the third upgraded launchpad at SDSC to send Indian astronauts to the moon in a “human spacecraft” that will be carried by an advanced version of the geo-stational satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) rocket.

He explained that the spacecraft carrying the astronauts is planned to have an escape system to enable them to bail out in case of an emergency even after launch.

“We are already forming teams to prepare for the launch of the manned mission,” Dathan told a visiting media team from Bangalore. The mission will be included in the Chandrayaan series and is expected to cost over Rs10,000 crore. ISRO scientists say the high mission cost is due to several safety aspects to be put in place, apart from an array of life support systems to help astronauts travel to and from the moon safely.

The minute details of the mission will be worked out by teams in the process of being formed.

The feasibility report for India’s manned moon mission is already with the Centre. ISRO now awaits the Centre’s approval to get into full gear to launch the mission.

k_bhargavi@dnaindia.net