By : Deepak Kumar Mohanty



Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is on its way to send a man to moon by 2014. According to a top ISRO official, our scientists have already started working on this manned mission to moon.

ISRO had already submitted a presentation to the Prime Minister last October, which is supposed to require an estimated amount of Rs 20,000 crore. But government is yet to sanction the project.

In the last few decades the nation has established itself as a successful country to develop and lunch commercial satellites. Recently India lunched an Italian satellite successfully in the orbit. The country now has great possibility of generating revenue in its satellite development and launching technology.

The Indian manned mission seems possible after ISRO successfully replaced a recoverable satellite in its orbit by using PSLV from Sriharikota space centre, last January. Space scientists were also able to bring back the 550 kg space capsule to Earth. There are also plans to test the second Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) within the next two years and government has also approved the 20 crore project.

However, scientists at present are capitalising on the re-entry technology, life support system, and crew escape system for the manned space craft. But ISRO is waiting for government approval for this mega project as it needs a huge amount of money. Yesterday, in the parliamentary session this manned space mission was briefly discussed along with other space and atomic energy program. The government has yet to make formal approval to this mega project.