Article Posted on : - Mar 04, 2010

A file photo of ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan.

TUMKUR (PTI): Indian Space Research Organisation's budget is just three per cent of that of its US counterpart NASA, its Chairman K Radhakrishnan said.

Delivering a convocation address at Tumkur University on Wednesday, he said despite the low funding, the Indian space programme is ready to take a giant leap towards inter-planetary missions and human space flight programme.

"The success of Chandrayaan-1 prepares the basis for many futuristic missions. Mission planning is being carried out for Chandrayaan-2, Mars orbiter and Aditya, the maiden solar mission to study solar corona," Radhakrishnan said.

But the most ambitious of all is the Human Space Flight Programme in which two astronauts would be sent to low earth orbit and would be safely "landed back".

According to him, with 15 consecutive successful launches, India's workhorse rocket PSLV is considered the most reliable launchers in its class in the industry.

With the development of GSLV-Mk III rocket, the launch capacity to geo-transfer orbit would be raised to four tonnes which means "an adult elephant being carried to 25,000 kms above the earth".

"The astonishing fact is -- all these were achieved on a stringent shoe-string budget. Our budget for the financial year 2009-10 which also happens to be our highest ever, is just three per cent of NASA's budget for the year 2010," Radhakrishnan said.