Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Russia, the two nations are jointly working together to launch build the spacecraft for the Indian manned mission, perhaps by 2016. Recent reports, however, indicate that India is undecided on the final option.
"THE HINDU" recently reported that India has slowed the pace of development of a human-rated rocket booster. Nonetheless, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K. Radhakrishnan said, "we have to decide whether GSLV-MK II or MK III that we will do this human rating."
India's space technology build-up will require a SKILLED SPACE SCIENCE WORKFORCE for the balance of the decade if the nation is to place its astronauts into space from India's soil and to continue with more advanced robtic lunar missions.
Progress has been achieved in realising the orbiter, lander and rover of the CHANDRAYAAN-2 MISSION, slated to take place in 2014. While India would make the orbiter and the rover, Russia would contribute the lander.
Credit: lights-in-sky.blogspot.com
