The Hindu Business Line : Scientists back ISRO's manned mission plans

An Indian manned space mission appears possible in the coming decade; ISRO's proposal got an overwhelming thumbs-up at the first brainstorming session of scientists here on Tuesday.

Studies that ISRO quietly made over the past four years put the cost at Rs 10,000-15,000 crore spread over eight years, a presentation said. ISRO will now present the project details to the Centre by the year-end, a release here said.

If approved by the Centre, the mission can be completed in eight years, Dr B.N. Suresh, Director, and Mr Madan Lal, Deputy Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said in presentations made before about 80 scientists from space and related areas.

VSSC, ISRO's Thiruvananthapuram-based lead rocketry agency, is the nodal agency for the plan to send an Indian into space — preparatory to a possible manned moon mission.

Finances apart, the technology issues relate to training, life support, crew safety during the flight and an escape system on return to Earth. The ISRO Chairman, Mr Madhavan Nair, had made a similar presentation to the Prime Minister last month.

Among those present in the gathering was the first Indian in space, Wg Cmdr Rakesh Sharma. "The scientists attending the meeting (were) unanimous in suggesting that the time is appropriate for India to undertake a manned mission. They stressed the need for reliability and safety aspects of the mission and suggested many issues to be studied further," the release said.

Currently ISRO has many technologies needed for the mission and can augment some, but it needs to develop new areas too.

It can develop an autonomous orbital vehicle, which it can launch on the GSLV mark-2 rocket for 2-tonne lifts or the mkIII with double the capacity and expected to be ready in 2008. ISRO's lunar orbiter mission Chandrayaan-1 is also slated for early 2008 on the polar launcher PSLV.

Among those present at the meeting were Prof U.R. Rao, Prof Yash Pal, Prof R. Narasimha and Dr R.M. Vasagam.