Indian Military

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will begin building a space capsule to carry two astronauts on its maiden manned mission, scheduled to take place by 2016. Isro’s satellite centre will fabricate the three-member capsule using anthropometric data, or information on physical attributes peculiar to Indians. The centre will also bridge the gap in developing key restricted technologies and help plan for future missions to the moon.

India’s existing Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rockets can ferry a 2,000kg- class satellite towards a geostationary orbit 37,000km above Earth. The GSLV-Mk3 is expected to carry a 4,000kg-class satellite towards a geostationary orbit.

The GSLV-Mk3 can also carry a 10,000kg payload into a low-earth orbit — an altitude of about 200km — and is thus viewed as a crucial technology that Isro will need to develop in its bid to launch manned space capsules.

[Financial Express] In one of the initiatives to strengthen economic ties with Saudi Arabia, India has offered to launch commercial satellites for the Kingdom. According to officials, “Under an MoU between the two countries for cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) marketing arm Antrix Corp is shortly going to start discussions with the Kingdom for launching their satellites. We are ready to launch their satellites as that is commercially viable for ISRO.”

The first flight testing of GSLV MK-III rocket, which will put heavier satellites in space, is likely to be carried out in April, the ISRO said on Wednesday. ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said scientists are working hard in developing the satellite and expressed hope that its first flight testing would take place in April. Addressing nearly 650 delegates at the 16th National Space Science Symposium (NSSS) hosted by the Saurashtra University here, Radhakrishnan said human presence in solar system is the next logical step in space research, which is a very challenging job because of high expectations.