In what can be described as the most ambitious space project in India’s history, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan has stated that India is planning to set up its own space station. While addressing a press conference, Sivan said, “We are planning to have a Space Station for India, our own space station.” India has kept 2030 as the target date for this ambitious project to launch a 20-tonne space station, which will most likely be used to conduct microgravity experiments. The ambitious project will be an extension of the Gaganyaan Mission.
The initial plan for the Space Station is to accommodate astronauts for a period of 15-20 days in space. However, the specific details on this project will come out only after the Gaganyaan, India’s first manned space mission is complete. ISRO has also made it clear that there will be no collaboration with any other country for this massive project. The only other countries who have had the feat of launching space stations are the US, Russia, China and a consortium of countries that own the International Space Station.
The ISRO chief said, “We have to sustain the Gaganyaan programme after the launch of (the) human space mission. In this context, India is planning to have its own space station.” As far as India’s first manned space mission is concerned, it has been reported that India is set to launch its first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, in December 2021. ISRO chief, K Sivan announced a few months ago that women astronauts could be a part of the three-member team. He had said that both men and women were being trained.
Sivan had also given a timeline of the mission and said that the plan is to send two unmanned missions in December 2020 and July 2021. It would be followed by the manned space mission in December 2021. He had said, “The initial training for Gaganyaan will be done in India and advanced training maybe in Russia. A woman astronaut is likely to be there on the team.”
India’s plan to send a manned space mission had been announced last year by Prime Minister Modi during the Independence Day address when he announced that India would send a manned space mission by 2022 when the country completes 75 years of independence. He had then said that an Indian son or daughter would carry the National Flag on this mission.
Currently, there is only one functioning space station in Earth’s orbit, the International Space Station. Therefore, India is eyeing yet another ambitious achievement which will further corroborate its emergence as a major power when it comes to Space Technology and capability.