India to set up separate space station: ISRO chairman reveals plans to conquer space

India's second sojourn to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, would be launched on July 15, Indian Space Research Organisation announced Wednesday, as it is all set for the most complex mission ever undertaken by it.
Under the nearly Rs 1,000 crore mission, the landing on the moon near the South Pole would be on September 6 or 7 on an uncharted territory, ISRO chairman K Sivan said.
The Lander, named after the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, will touch down on a rugged lunar surface in the final descent, which, according to Sivan, would be the "most terrifying moment" of the mission.
"This 15 minutes is going to be terrifying to all of us not only people from ISRO, but for entire India, because the space agency has never undertaken such type of complex flight..
 

 On eve of 75th Independence anniversary of India in 2022, ISRO has resolved to send its first human Mission into space, it could be before 2022. Exclusive special cell has been created, Gaganyaan National advisory council to monitor planning and preparation"

India's second sojourn to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, would be launched on July 15, Indian Space Research Organisation announced Wednesday, as it is all set for the most complex mission ever undertaken by it.
Under the nearly Rs 1,000 crore mission, the landing on the moon near the South Pole would be on September 6 or 7 on an uncharted territory, ISRO chairman K Sivan said.
The Lander, named after the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, will touch down on a rugged lunar surface in the final descent, which, according to Sivan, would be the "most terrifying moment" of the mission.
"This 15 minutes is going to be terrifying to all of us not only people from ISRO, but for entire India, because the space agency has never undertaken such type of complex flight..
 

This 15 minutes flight is the most complex mission ISRO has ever undertaken," he said.
The landing site, at about 70 degrees south latitude, is the southernmost for any mission, not attempted before by any country, according to ISRO, as the Indian space agency eyed an ambitious feat after missing many dates.

Earlier, the government has finalised the broad contours of a new defence space agency which will develop capabilities to protect India's interests in outer space and deal with threats of space wars, officials sources said Tuesday.

The agency is being tasked with developing a range of platforms and co-orbital weapons to protect Indian assets in space and to have deterrence, they said.

The sources said the government is also planning to set up a defence space research organisation to carry out research and development relating to military dimension of use of outer space.

The move to set up the defence space agency comes over two months after the government carried out an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) test by shooting down a live satellite.

With the A-SAT test, India joined a select group of countries to have capability to shoot down a satellite.

"The Defence Space Agency will evolve strategy to protect India's interests in outer space including dealing with threat of space wars," said a senior military official.

The setting up of the defence space agency was discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security of the previous government, the sources said.

The need for developing counterspace capability was discussed threadbare at a meeting of Defence Planning Committee (DPC) chaired by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in April.

The DPC is working on "comprehensive" planning for the defence forces besides focusing on military doctrines to deal with emerging security challenges.

A joint doctrine developed by the Army, Air Force and the Navy had also strongly recommended setting up of a Defence Space Agency along with a 'Defence Cyber Agency'. come