Veteran space scientist K Kasturirangan has favoured India to pursue a collaborative model in its proposed human spaceflight venture to undertake the mission early in a cost-effective manner by leveraging proven capabilities in the field internationally.
The former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation noted that there is a programme to look at whats the model that would be applicable at this phase of the programme, both globally and nationally in the case of human spaceflight.
"So, they (ISRO) need to really work out multiple strategies by which the goal can be achieved, and in those strategies how much of it should be ourselves, how much we should do with international collaboration component, and whats the optimum way in which we can reach the goal as early as possible with minimal investment because these are all investment-intensive and also they take their own time," he told PTI.
Not just funds, resources in terms of human and infrastructure, quite a lot of investment is needed if India is to do the venture alone, pointed out the former Secretary in the Department of Space and ex-Chairman of Space Commission.
"But the world has already moved there in that direction (human spaceflight) and therefore in the world today we have got quite a lot of capabilities available across globally. Our political relations are quite good with many of these countries (having such space capabilities) and so I think we should be able to develop models where we can optimally design a system by which we can move fast into the human spaceflight," Kasturirangan said.
Asked if India should have an ambition to establish a space station, he said the country can now have any ambition because economically its getting stronger.
"Technologically and scientifically its capable; there is a will among the public to support this programme and so I see no reason why India will hesitate. I am sure these things are very much in the minds of planners and political system of the country," Kasturirangan added.
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