Manned mission to moon soon: Indian President

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) After the unmanned Chandrayaan-I,
India wants to send a manned mission to the moon, President
Pratibha Patil said Saturday.
"We have sent an unmanned spacecraft, Chandrayaan-I, to
the moon and we hope to send a manned spacecraft to the moon
in the near future," Patil said inaugurating the India
International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
The President lauded the India Trade Promotion
Organisation (ITPO) for organising a special exhibition at the
Nehru Pavilion in the Pragati Maidan, the venue of the IITF,
showcasing the nation's stride in the area of space
technology.
The exhibition, 'India--A Space Odyssey', showcases the
country's long journey in the field of space and related
technologies.
"The future belongs to inventions, innovations, and
enterprise. We must be prepared to move in that direction and
to make India a storehouse of knowledge and expertise," the
President said.
Chandrayaan-I was launched in October 2008 on two-year
lunar mission. But it came to an abrupt end on August 30 this
year. However, the Chandrayaan found signs of water on the
moon marking a great advance in the country's space research.
The President said the economy had come a long way since
beginning of the reforms in the early 1990s. "It resulted
in higher growth rates, technological upgrade, increased
foreign investments and larger trade volumes," she said. (MORE) PTI