The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi announced the country will attempt to launch its first manned space mission by 2022.
Modi made the first manned space mission announcement during a speech commemorating the Independence Day of India on Wednesday.
“India will send into space – a man or a woman – by 2022, before that if possible,” Modi said. “In the year 2022 or, if possible before, India will unfurl the tricolour in space.”
India would be the fourth country to put a human in space (manned space mission) using its own national space programme if it succeeds. Russia, the United States, and China are the only countries that have so far successfully done so, Aljazeera said.
ALSO READ:Â Ooni donates new building structure to orphanage home in Ibadan
India’s space programme has a budget of about $1.6bn, less than 10 per cent of the US’ and about 15 per cent of Russia’s.
Despite such a small budget, India has made remarkable progress in manned space mission.
In 2014, India was the first Asian nation to reach Mars on a budget of just $74m, compared with NASA’s Maven Mars mission that had a $671m price tag.
The Mangalyaan probe reached Earth’s neighbouring planet to collect scientific data and serve as a precursor for future, more advanced missions.
Modi has often hailed India’s space technology, quipping in 2014 a rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than Hollywood.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Revealed: How Daura planned to install new NASS leaders
More facts have emerged on the role played by the sacked Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Lawal Daura, on the botched attempt to forcefully effect leadership change in the National Assembly and how the plan was hatched…READ MORE
“I have a message for my country and I want you to pray with me. After the message, you join me in prayers. This is the third time I am having this message.
Now I am going to say it the third time. The president’s heart is like a stream of water in the hands of God. The leader’s heart is like a stream of water in the…READ MORE
and then