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| | The 'mission moon' of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has arrived near the completion and the first spacecraft on mission would take off latest by March next year. "Now the project is running in full swing and we have also started to explore the possibility to send a man into the space in next eight years," ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told the Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday in Jodhpur. Nair was in Jodhpur to review the working of Regional Remote Sensing Center run by the ISRO and to discuss the enhancement plan of the center. He also discussed the development plan with the scientist after addressing an august gathering over future plan of the ISRO towards the benefiting general public with the technical achievement by the space scientist. It was the first official visit of any ISRO Chief in Jodhpur. Nair after visiting RRSC departed for Jaisalmer where he will experience the truth of desert on ground. Denying any more delay in moon mission, ISRO Chief said that preparations are in full swing for the Chandrayan-1 mission. It is an engineering model of the moon impactor probe. He said that India's first unmanned moon mission - the Chandrayan-1 would be completed in near future and it is expected that it will be launched in end of March 2008 on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The 525-kg satellite will be placed in the 100-km polar orbit around the moon and it will have a lifetime of two years. Chandrayaan-1 is for mapping applications and this satellite is equipped with remote-sensing cameras. Nair said that Chandrayaan-2 - to be undertaken by 2010 - would have a proper Lander, which would land on the lunar surface and try to explore the surface in far more detail. "Chandrayaan-2 will have a Lander, which would touch down on the lunar surface and pick up samples," he added. Replying queries, Nair said that ISRO is also planning to send a man into space to orbit around the earth ahead more ambitious moon mission. "Its right that we did not send any Indian astronaut to moon after Sq Ldr Rakesh Sharma, but now we are preparing ourselves for this simultaneously with ongoing moon mission," he said adding that it will be possible in next 7-8 years. He said the government has given the go ahead to ISRO to undertake a detailed study and submit a firm project report on the manned mission to space. "The study project has been cleared and we are going into every detail regarding technologies involved... whatever precision needed... what type of human resources we need... all these will be sharply focused," ISRO Chief said. ISRO Chief said that there were many indications that there was enough stock of helium gas in the moon and a main objective of Indian scientists would be to find out its stock as part of India's search for alternative sources of energy. According to him, India's next plan would be to set up a space station so that "we could utilise that in future for our scientists and researchers." When asked about the space tourism proposed by Russia and its plan to carry some private persons to moon in its space vehicle, Nair said that it would be a good idea. "We could also explore this thing in near future," said ISRO chief, enthusiastic with recent successful return of ISRO space vehicle on the earth. |
