Spaceflight

India has ruled out a manned flight to the Moon in the near future. Although a plan for missions to low-Earth orbit and the Moon was endorsed in November by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the space agency's leadership cautions it will take several years to achieve.

ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair says: "It is a long way to go, since a lot of technology is involved. [The preliminary study will] be followed by a detailed study, which will be out in one year." It would be at least eight to 10 years before a launch took place, he says, once government approval was obtained.

The biggest challenge is development of a launcher. India's domestically developed upper-stage cryogenic engine for its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is to undergo a full-duration, 720s ground firing test this month.

ISRO's GSLV-Mk I has a Russian-supplied upper-stage engine. Using the Indian engine, GTO payload will be increased from 2,000kg (4,405lb) to 2,500kg for the GSLV-MkII. ISRO is also developing the three-stage GSLV-MkIII, designed to launch 4,000kg satellites to GTO as a step towards a manned launcher.