CHANDRAYAAN 2 LAST

On possibility of an unmanned Mars Mission, Radhakrishnan
said "there are three opportune years, but then we have to
finally decide what instruments we are going to carry, what is
the science that you are trying to understand and then build a
spacecraft."
He said 2013, 2016, 2018 were the "opportune" years or
time slots available for such a mission.
"We also have a long journey to reach Mars. We have to
finalise the kind of propulsion that we need. It will take a
minimum of six months to reach there," he said.
On whether ISRO was working on the project, he said "At
the moment we are studying it and it is a paper study."
The global community was looking at a time frame of 2030
for having a habitat in Mars.
India was also looking at a human space flight programme
around the earth's orbit, he said, adding, the challenge was
in designing a craft that could take astronauts and let them
live outside in harsh environment.
It involved building a crew module, an escape system for
astronauts if the craft develops problems and also ensuring
reliability of the launch vehicle, he said.
"In four to seven years, we should be able to do it in
steps," he said. Initially, ISRO was looking at sending two
astronauts on the craft on the lower orbit of the earth.
On India's stand on anti-satellite technology given the
demand, he said, "we are into peaceful use of outer space."
On GSLV Mark III next developmental flight or testing of
the indigenous cryogenic engine, he said it should happen in
the next couple of months. "We would take a review Thursday,"
he said. PTI