ISRO Plans to Send Spacecraft

The Indian Space Research Organization is evaluating the feasibility of undertaking a manned space flight and is expected to submit a project report to the government by March 2008. The space agency, which has also drawn up plans to send a spacecraft to Mars and have flyby missions to comets and asteroids over the next five years, is also set to revamp the transponders on its communication satellites to 500 from the current 175, to meet the growing demand in the various sectors. Meanwhile, the Centre has proposed to more than double the plan outlay of Isro to Rs 273 billion to enable it achieve its ambitious programmes including facilitating tele-medicine and tele-education services. The Eleventh Plan has identified building capabilities in space communications and navigation, developing navigational satellite systems, research in satellite communications and self sustenance of INSAT or G -SAT systems as major areas of focus. The Isro is expected to operationalise the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, capable of putting four tonne satellites in orbit and develop technologies to recover spacecraft after completion of missions. India’s maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-I will take to the skies on April 9, 2008 and Isro has already begun finalising details for a second lunar mission with a possible launch in the next three years. India is also developing its own version of the Global Positioning System by launching seven satellites in the next six years. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), expected to be functional by 2012, will be used for surveying, telecommunications, transport, identifying disaster areas and public safety among others.