After moon, it should be Mars: Kalam

Chandigarh, Nov 14: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Friday, Nov 14 said successful Chandrayaan-1 mission should inspire the Indian scientists to prepare for the Mars mission.

''Chandrayaan-1 mission should inspire us to look forward to a mission to the Mars,'' he said while inaugurating the AeroTech 2008, a national seminar on 'Recent Advances in Aerospace Technologies, Maintenance and Optimisation' here. Dr Kalam said would be a 'red letter day' in the history of Indian space research as ISRO's Chandrayaan-1, unmanned moon voyager, would send down the 'Moon Impact Probe' (MIP), carrying the country's National Flag, on to the lunar surface. The success of the Chandrayaan mission, he said, had proved excellence in technology and creativity. He also expressed the hope that 100-seater air passenger jet would be a reality within five years.

The two-day seminar has been organised by Aeronautical Society of India, Chandigarh Branch, in association with the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL)), Chandigarh.

UNI