Gaganyaan to take Indian astronaut to space by 2022 — PM

New Delhi, Aug. 15 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced an ambitious mission of sending an Indian astronaut to space by 2022 on board ‘Gaganyaan’. The mission, he said in his Independence Day address, would be launched using ISRO’s own capabilities, and on successful completion, make India the fourth nation in the world to do so. “Our country has been making a lot of progress in the area of space (science). When India celebrates its 75th Independence Day, or even before that, an Indian son or daughter will undertake a manned space mission on board ‘Gaganyaan’, carrying the national flag,” Modi said from the Red Fort. The prime minister said with the launch of the Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission), space scientists displayed India’s prowess in the field. Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008 and operated till August 2009, while the Mangalyaan is a space probe orbiting Mars since September 24, 2014.