India plans first reusable spacecraft flight by 2010
2010 is going to be a big year for manned spaceflight. Bigelow Aerospace is planning the first private space habitat, and India is planning the first launch of their reusable spacecraft by 2010.
India has been testing a space capsule that was recovered, laying the groundwork for manned missions. The space agency also says it plans a Mars mission ‘as early as 2012.’
Certainly bold. And India is moving the time table up. Their last mission prediction for an Indian astronaut was by 2014, and the idea was only first broached in 2006, as India seemed to regard unmanned missions as having the same benefits until late in the year.
[For a rough overview of the story so far, Jeff Foust, as usual, has a great summary article here]
August 15th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I, for one, welcome our new Indian overlords.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I don’t really think they can pull this off by 2012, but a part of me really, really hopes they do. in the 21st, it’s either India or China – and I’d prefer to see a democracy at the front of the pack, thanks.
August 15th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
As it’s not an operational shuttle but a test-craft and therefore presumably downsized, I think it’s possible to do that in 5 years.
Building a probe is not that difficult, they basically have the launcher needed for the tasks. But integrating all “easy” parts into a successful mission is the hard task.
August 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I’d prefer India over China as well.