India to join hands with France for its Gaganyaan Programme

Bengaluru, September 6: ‘India and France will join hands for India’s Gaganyaan programme for manned space flight before 2022’ this was announced during the 6th edition of the biennial Bengaluru Space Expo inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan in Bengaluru today.

 

The three-day event will showcase industry participation in Indian space programme.

ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said that the Indian Space Research Organisation wants to offer manufacturing of PSLV and small satellite launch vehicles along with small satellites to private industries.

He said a sum of 10,400 crore rupees is earmarked for manufacturing of PSLV launch vehicle out of which 9000 crore rupees worth production will be given to private industries.

Speaking on the occasion, the President of CNES, the French Space Agency, Jean Le Gall said India and France are strategic partners in the space programme and are working in close proximity in development of space missions.

Recently, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said in a press conference the manned mission to space having 3 crew members will be in space for 5-7 days. The ISRO chief said after the takeoff, the manned flight will reach the orbit in 16 minutes.

The crew, while coming back to the Earth, could land in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast or in the Bay of Bengal or even on land, he added. He said the mission may be executed six months before India completes its 75th Independence Day with the help of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

Sivan said the spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.

MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh said the mission is much cheaper in comparison to other man missions sent to space. The crew will be selected by the Indian Air Force and ISRO jointly after which they will undergo training for two to three years.

India will be the fourth country after the USA, Russia, and China to send humans to space.