Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman, K Sivan, said on Thursday that India is planning to have its own space station, and modalities for it will be worked out after the first manned mission, Gaganyaan, that is scheduled for August 2022. He said there is a need for us to have a separate space station. Our ambition is to launch a small module for microgravity experiments. After the Gaganyaan mission, the detailed project report on setting up a space station will be submitted to the government.
Dr Sivan added that the proposed space station is envisaged to weigh 20 tonnes, may serve as a facility where astronauts can stay for 15-20 days, and it is expected to be placed in an orbit 400 km above the earth. The time frame will be 5-7 years for launch after Gaganyaan. He also said that ISRO would also join the international space community for a manned mission to the moon and beyond.
For the manned mission, ISRO had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Air Force for selection and training of pilots. ISRO has set its sights on two interplanetary missions after Chandrayaan-2. To study the Sun’s corona Mission Aditya-L1 is scheduled for next year and in 2-3 years another mission to study Venus.
