An Indian On the Moon By 2020

turgid writes, "The Hindustan Times reports that the Indian Space Research Organization plans to land an Indian on the Moon by 2020. First, experiments will be conducted to launch, orbit, and recover a capsule. Plans are to launch an Indian into space in 2014. Manned orbital missions will be launched, initially for a day, but eventually lasting a week or more. Expeditions to the Moon are expected to last 15 days to a month." The article doesn't estimate the cost of such a program. The US Apollo program cost about $135 billion (in 2006 dollars), according to Wikipedia.

Comments

It's cheaper the second time

[melonman]

A lot of the cost of the American space program was developing technology that is now commonplace. The Indian IT team will have better equipment on day one than the US had on the day of the lunar landing, for example. India is no slouch in telecoms terms either.

Also, there was a lot of experimentation involved in the first space exploration that doesn't need to be done again. We know how to make space suits, and, thanks mainly to the Russians, we know a lot about the effects of long-term zero-gravity trips on the human body.

And even if America and Europe don't play ball (which is depressingly likely on past form), I'm sure the Russians will be willing to hand over as much technology as the Indians don't feel like reinventing.

So it won't be cheap, but I'd expect it to be cheaper in real terms than the first race to the moon.

And I'm taking as read that the Indian space program really has the same motivation as European and American space exploration, ie it's an excuse to pour lots of state funding into your high-tech industries, which gives you more competitive terrestial technology as a spin-off. In other words, this is probably more about kick-starting the Asian airliner industry than about photos of Indians eating poppadums in a crater.

Re:You've got two satellites...

[aalu.paneer]

When India started sending satellites in space, many people said we have so many naked-starving people, why spend money in R&D and invest in future. Today, they are the one who besides from direct outcome, are benefiting from the indirect outcome of technological advancement. Everyone agrees that sending Man/Woman to Moon is a big technological challenge. But the advancement it will bring to India will be of great indirect outcome. I am an Indian and I support all investment into better future. Let us not make a make-shift country ...