Isro plans to launch manned moon mission by 2015

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has proposed to undertake the country’s first manned moon mission by 2015 at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore. This will be by far the most expensive mission undertaken by the agency since it was set up in 1972 under the Department of Space.

Earlier in the day, India successfully launched its first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I, becoming the sixth country to undertake an odyssey for exploration of lunar surface.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of Chandrayaan-I, Isro Chairman G Madhavan Nair said the proposed mission would pose fresh challenges to the space agency, including setting up of new infrastructure.

He said Isro would try to handle the proposed mission without any help from countries that had prior experience in manned missions. “It will be completely driven by us. However, if there is any scope for meaningful collaboration, we will consider it,” Nair said.

Discussing about the cost of various missions undertaken by Isro, including the latest Rs 386-crore Chandrayaan-I launch and the proposed Rs 425-crore Chandrayaan-II project, he said the space agency had given back to the country more than what it had taken.

“We did a survey and found that in the last three-and-a-half decades we have spent only $2 billion (approximately Rs 10,000 crore). In terms of benefits derived by the country in economic terms, it is almost one-and-a-half times more. This is besides the technology that has been passed down,” he added.

Nair cited the case of US, which is known for the advances it has made in space technology, saying it was spending nearly $20 billion every year.

Nair and his colleagues said India would undertake a manned mission to the moon only if it was completely justified.

The central government has approved the Chandrayaan-II mission, expected to be ready by 2011, which would attempt to collect samples from the moon and send back analysed data.

Another mission — Chandrayaan-III — which is still in a concept stage, will aim to bring back physical samples from the moon, said Chandrayaan-I project director Mylswamy Annadurai.