Posted by Ray Katz in current, moon, private
India’s Space Ambitions
India recently launched its first lunar mission, but the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has even bigger plans: to launch astronauts into space by 2012. And to put an astronaut on the moon by 2020. That’s according to a recent article in India’s Economic Times.
Space seems to be getting crowded with the United States, Russia, China, Japan, Brazil, and India (and others) developing their own launching capabilities. And, of course, there are also private programs, with Virgin Galactic being only the most visible of that emerging industry.
But, for now, back to India.
India’s space program dates back to 1963. It developed the capability to launch its own satellites. Although an Indian Air Force pilot flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in the 1980s, and other Indian origin astronauts flew aboard America’s space shuttle, India has—as yet—no capabilities of launching its own astronauts.
It seema they plan to change that. Stay tuned!
