It is official. Indians cannot look forward to a ride into space for at least another five years.
For, the much-vaunted human space flight programme does not figure among 58 space missions approved by the Planning Commission for the period 2012-2017.
“If you look at the scenario today we do not have a programme declared as such, only pre-project studies are on. The government has sanctioned `150 crores for the studies,” Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said at a press conference here on Monday.
He explained that when the Isro mooted an Indian’s journey into space in 2006-07 at a cost of `12,400 crores, the space scientists envisaged at least two people travelling into space onboard an Indian rocket within the next seven years. The government subsequently approved pre-project studies on environment control and life support systems, crew escape systems, space suits and host of other advanced systems and critical technologies associated with the project. Evidently, two consecutive failures of GSLV (geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle) have forced the government to put the ambitious project on hold.
Dr Radhakrishnan said at this point in time, it would be difficult to set a timeframe for an Indian’s flight into space.
He said though originally GSLV-Mark 2 was proposed to be used for the manned mission with a two-member crew returning home after a week-long voyage in space, Indian space scientists were now looking at GSLV-Mark 3 as it would have the capability to fly a three-member crew. Both these rockets, however, must prove their reliability before a manned flight.