MarsBlog.net

ISRO has high ambitions for the future, including lunar and planetary science missions, larger launch vehicles, X-ray and ultraviolet observatories, and numerous advanced propulsion development programs.

But…stop me if you’ve heard this one before…

An Indian space shuttle? The Indian Space Research Organisation is working towards one ? only this version will be called a Reusable Launch Vehicle and should be ready after 2010.

As its name suggests, the Reusable Launch Vehicle can be used again and again like the shuttle unlike ordinary rockets that can be used only once.

While making one is expensive and involves high levels of technological inputs and costs, it is easier in the long run to have one. For the future, there is a two-stage orbit vehicle, slated for 2030, and a single-state orbit vehicle, slated for 2050, that could theoretically take off like a plane and go straight into space.

Note to ISRO: Just say “No”.

Posted on February 16th, 2004 under Indian Space. Comments Off

Some Indians, at least, are denying that China’s recent manned space flight will lead to a Sino-Indian space race. And they seem a little defensively huffy about it…”We never wanted one, anyway. Hmph!”

Posted on October 21st, 2003 under Chinese Space, Indian Space, Space Policy. Comments: 2

Well, the Chinese have finally done the man in space thing. Congratulations to them on a successful flight.

My take on the whole “new space race” issue is that this development isn’t likely to have any direct impact on NASA’s goals or activities. No one mentioned it at work today (other than myself), so it clearly wasn’t of much concern. Nor should it be, right now, as they have a lot of catching up to do to really be a rival — though given the fact that they can learn from the mistakes that we and the Soviets/Russians made over the years, they will probably catch up with us in a much shorter time than it took us to get to where we are (if such is their goal).

What remains to be seen, however, is whether this will spawn a space race between China, Japan, and India. Some news articles I read at lunch today indicated a degree of concern over China’s flight among the Indians and Japanese, and in the case of Japan the worries centered on national prestige — some saw it as “backward and poor” China showing up the Japanese by doing something their once-powerful but deteriorating economy cannot support.

It ought to be interesting to see what comes of this, if anything.

Posted on October 15th, 2003 under Chinese Space, Indian Space, Japanese Space, Space Policy. Comments: 2

This op-ed by Rod Liddle in today’s al Guardian is so deliriously idiotic and filled with sneering cuteness that it would be a shame not to fisk it.

Shall we?

(more…)

Posted on June 4th, 2003 under Chinese Space, European Space, Indian Space, Japanese Space, Luddism, Mars Society, Russian Space, Space Commerce, Space Policy, Space Science. Comments: 6