India to develop technology to fly humans in space orbit

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to embark on developing a technology to enable flying human into space orbit. This will mean spacecraft docking and berthing in space. This technology allows  two spacecrafts to attach in space orbit to transfer men and material between them. According  to the Times of India report,  this plan has been given initial grant of Rs 10 crore after it got a green signal from the Department of Space. The  human space programme is not immediate plan of ISRO. Still, the  goal of the docking system development is to send and bring back humans from space. According  to senior scientist T K Anuradha, concerned experiments in this regard were under way at the ISRO Space Application Centre (Isac), Bengaluru, since 2016 and some of the  ground simulations have been conducted. "The plan is to launch two small spacecraft to test the technology in space. India operates a huge constellation of satellites and this technology will allow Isro to enhance their lives by refuelling them. It'll also reduce space debris," said a senior scientist of ISRO. "In most cases, the payloads on our satellites are still functioning when the satellite is decommissioned because it has expended its fuel. In future, we could enhance the life of satellites multiple times," the scientist further added. ISRO is believed to be in process of developing  a special bus and payload module to  replace of equipment on satellites in space orbit. Going for development of spacecraft docking and berthing in space technology is certainly a step ahead in the direction of putting a human in space by India.