ISRO to trigger national debate on manned mission

Bangalore, Nov 2 (UNI) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will initiate a national debate here on November seven on carrying out a manned mission.

ISRO sources told UNI that over 50 top scientists and technocrats from various spheres have been called for a day-long brainstorming session at the ISRO headquarters here on the manned mission. The meeting would be a closed door one, the sources indicated.

A manned mission was possible using Mark-11 GSLV, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. However, certain modifications need to be made and the reliability of the launch vehicle should be beyond any doubt before the mission could take place. The most important task would be to design, develop and build a capsule to house the Indian space man.

Initially, the mission would be to enable an Indian astronaut to orbit the earth and subsequently to send a man to the moon.

Any future course of action on the mission would be decided based on the views expressed at the meeting, the sources said, indicating that it could cost more than Rs 10,000 crore.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had, during the review of the functioning of the Space Department, sought such a debate when he was informed about the possibility and capability of ISRO undertaking such a mission.

With ISRO realising most of the dream of India's space endeavour architect Vikram Sarabhai on utilising space for sustainable development of the country, the next step was a manned mission.

ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair had in an interview stated that ISRO could undertake the mission in six to eight years after the Union Government approved the proposal, to be formulated after wide ranging discussions across the country.

A similar effort was carried out before ISRO had embarked on the Rs 350 crore Chandrayaan project. The process took nearly three years before the mission was okayed.

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