Thursday, March 10 2005 17:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tenali (Andhra Pradesh): An advanced version of the Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), capable of carrying astronauts into space and with a payload of ten tonnes, will be ready in two years, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G Madhavan Nair said.

However, India was not considering a manned space mission for the present because of the high cost involved and "not due to any technological weakness", Nair said in Tenali yesterday (Mar 9, 2005) after receiving the Y Nayudamma memorial award, set up in memory of the former chairman of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The cost involved in training astronauts for a space mission and creating the infrastructure was huge and not commensurate with the expected benefits, he said.

Nair said Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-III would be ready in two years and capable of carrying astronauts into space. The vehicle could carry a payload of ten tonnes into low earth orbit, he said.

A recoverable space capsule that would be tested next year (2006) would help in the design of modules to bring astronauts back, he said.

The currently available expendable launch vehicles like Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and GSLV, along with GSLV Mark-III would help India become "totally self- reliant" in launching remote-sensing satellites in low earth orbit and communication satellites of up to four tonnes in Geo-stationary orbit, Nair added.

The proposed 'Chandrayaan' Moon mission would form one major stepping stone in ISRO's efforts for planetary exploration, he said.