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Chinas success in docking Shenzhou 9 craft and its three astronauts in space with an intention to build a station within the decade has sent uneasy ripples through the Indian fraternity.
The success is credited to an aggressive policy to synergise the space and military programmes.
Back home, many scientists feel the drive behind missions to put humans in space has lost its momentum and a rework on policies and programmes is needed.
Former Isro chairman Professor UR Rao told The Pioneer that India should build much larger launch vehicles. Of China, he said, Its a wonderful thing. This is their second docking. They are going ahead systematically with the manned programme while we have not started at all.
They (China) have 9-tonne payload vehicles, synergy between their defence programmes, rockets which can hit the target at 13,000 km, Rao pointed out.
Another space scientist, on conditions of anonymity, told The Pioneer that Isro had a man mission blueprint to take over China in space programmes. Isro is also pursuing a man mission to space, but two failures of GSLV have hit the programme. It will take another eight years to realise our dream of a space mission, he added.
The scientist noted, They are marching forward with a lot of aggression. Soon they will become the second country to have human space flight capabilities. We missed a great opportunity. By this time, we could have been halfway through in the space programme. But three years have been lost.
India losing space race to China
The success is credited to an aggressive policy to synergise the space and military programmes.
Back home, many scientists feel the drive behind missions to put humans in space has lost its momentum and a rework on policies and programmes is needed.
Former Isro chairman Professor UR Rao told The Pioneer that India should build much larger launch vehicles. Of China, he said, Its a wonderful thing. This is their second docking. They are going ahead systematically with the manned programme while we have not started at all.
They (China) have 9-tonne payload vehicles, synergy between their defence programmes, rockets which can hit the target at 13,000 km, Rao pointed out.
Another space scientist, on conditions of anonymity, told The Pioneer that Isro had a man mission blueprint to take over China in space programmes. Isro is also pursuing a man mission to space, but two failures of GSLV have hit the programme. It will take another eight years to realise our dream of a space mission, he added.
The scientist noted, They are marching forward with a lot of aggression. Soon they will become the second country to have human space flight capabilities. We missed a great opportunity. By this time, we could have been halfway through in the space programme. But three years have been lost.
India losing space race to China