India plans manned space mission

So India would be the 4th country to do so, after Russia, US and China. I think the Indian space agency is one of the best that is around, They have the largest constellation of satellites in space for remote sensing, and it is good to see that they will have a man in space by 2016.

Indian researchers have announced plans to send their astronauts to space in 2016.

The cost of the proposed mission is estimated at $4.8 billion, said S. Satish, spokesman for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Studies have begun on the design of the crew capsules that will be used to put a pair of astronauts 300 kilometers aloft for seven days, he said. The project budget has been sent for federal approval, he added.

A training facility for astronauts will also be built in southern India as part of the program, which Satish said would be solely Indian.

Source: www.cnn.com...

I think the more people in space the better.

The more "eyes" we have out there the more that can be seen, and the more that can be reported. I know we have a lot of satellites but in comparison to the vastness of space we are looking at very little of it.

I like that other countries are getting into the "space race" maybe it will drive our natural feeling of competitiveness to U.S. and maybe we will accomplish more out there.

Good find.

Pred...

An optimistic plan, and that too if the Indians re-use/re-vamp a soyuz-esque crew vehicle (like the Chinese did).

But as they say.. 'where there is funding, there is a way' . Interesting that they plan to put two of them up in the first shot, rather than send one up first and then maybe 2. Its a first of sorts, for any country.

I say good for India.

Hopefully some day the Average Joe can hop a ride into space commercially.
The more the Earth sends people into space the sooner this will happen. IMO.

But for now I'll have to get by with my Star Trek TNG, Voyager, and Enterprise DVD collection.

I'm not too big on DS9