|
'Splash-down' for Indian spacecraft
|
| Print |
|
E-mail
|
|
SCI-TECH
|
|
By Agencies
|
|
![The capsule was sent into space as one of four payloads on January 10 [AP]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/India/3/spacecraft.jpg "The capsule was sent into space as one of four payloads on January 10 [AP]") | | The capsule was sent into space as one of four payloads on January 10 [AP] |
An Indian space capsule, has successfully returned to Earth, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation.
The capsule, which had been orbiting the earth for 11 days, landed in the Bay of Bengal on Monday.
India's space agency said the event marks a step forward in the development of India's space programme.
"[The capsule] landed in the Bay of Bengal ... as per schedule. The mission is a great success," said A Subramoniam, who headed the team that designed and built the capsule.
"This mission is a stepping stone to design and build our very own reusable spacecraft, and eventually [carry out] manned missions into space, too," he said.
For years India has been building communication and remote-sensing satellites, but this is the first time the country has deployed a reusable spacecraft. The US, Russia, China, Japan and France have all successfully deployed reusable spacecraft in the past.
The capsule was sent into space as one of four payloads on January 10 from a launch pad 100km north of the Indian city of Chennai.
The capsule landed in the Bay of Bengal and coast guards have already fished the capsule from the sea, according to one scientist.
Indian space scientists are already preparing for the country's first unmanned lunar mission which is scheduled for launch in February 2008 and is to be powered by a locally built rocket.
Despite limited funding for the programme, India hopes to put an astronaut into space by 2014.
Recommend this article...
Tags: India Indian spacecraft
|
Technorati Profile
