Destination Moon — ISRO’s next big thing

NEW DELHI, May 11: Today may have been the anniversary of Pokharan II but what caused more excitement in the scientific community was chairman K Kasturirangan’s announcement that ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle can “undertake a mission to the moon.” And a core team of scientists is being put together to work out details.

In his Technology Day lecture here this evening on “The Indian Space Odyssey,” Kasturirangan said that India could easily launch a small satellite of about 275 kg in a “fly-by mission” to the moon or even place a 140-kg satellite in an orbit around the moon. The mission: to study the moon’s core. A manned mission, however, is still far away. Destination Moon could symbolise the next big challenge for ISRO which has satellite technology well under its belt, he said.

Working out the mission’s objectives and payload could take time and if all goes well, it could be a reality by 2008. The cost will be estimated, he said, once the scientific details have been worked out and thegovernment will be approached for funds, he said.