Spaceflight

India's first manned mission, expected to be launched in 2014, has been allocated an initial 1,250 million rupees ($31 million) under the government's 2008-9 national budget.

These funds will allow the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to initiate pre-manned flight project activities.

Using a 4,000kg (8,800lb) capsule, the 36h manned flight will be launched into a 400km (248 miles) low Earth orbit by the in-development heavy-lift Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MkIII. Under the budget, the GSLV-MkIII project has been awarded 1,750 million rupees. The launcher is expected to be able to place 10,000kg into LEO, with a maiden flight before the decade ends.

The two projects are part of a space budget approved by the Indian parliament that totals 40,740 million rupees, 23.8% more than in 2007-8. The third major project funded by the budget increase is the eight-spacecraft Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

ISRO will work closely with the Indian air force to shortlist potential astronauts from among IAF combat pilots. ISRO will also use IAF facilities to train astronaut candidates. India's first man in space, Rakesh Sharma, flew on Soyuz T-11 in April 1984 with the Soviet Union.