ISRO chief K Sivan said in a press conference on Thursday that ISRO is all set to propel itself to achieve the ambitious project of launching India’s own space station. The program would be an extension of its Gaganyaan mission.
Speaking about the formidable project, K Sivan asserted that the ISRO will have to sustain the Gaganyaan programme after the launch of the human space mission. It is to this end that ISRO is planning to have its own space station, he stated.
ISRO is scaling unprecedented heights with its recently announced Chandrayaan-2, the second mission to Moon that is scheduled for July 15 launch.
The Chandrayaan-2 would comprise of three parts namely: the Orbiter, the Lander (Vikram) and the Rover (Pragyan). The Rover would be housed within the Lander. The Orbiter and the Lander would be an integrated module weighing about 3.8 tonnes. This module would be launched using a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV MK III) designed to launch satellites into geostationary orbit.
Reportedly, the Chandrayaan-2 mission would cost Rs 603 crore while the GSLV MK III would cost Rs 375 crore. There are also reports that the mission would carry several foreign payloads as well, including that of NASA.
