<p>"A mission to Mars, for several reasons, has become a priority for us. We are trying to actualise the ideas as soon as possible. Deep space missions have their own challenges. Gravitational forces from different planets, x-rays from sun and various other hazards have to be carefully monitored before the mission, besides a study of Martian surface," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said.<br /><br />Speaking at the silver jubilee celebrations of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Radhakrishnan touched on future missions of ISRO, including ASTROSAT - India's first dedicated multi-wavelength astronomy satellite, Chandrayan 2, the sequel to lunar mission Chandrayan 1, and a possible human-spaceflight.<br /><br />"Chandrayaan 1 was cornerstone of deep space exploration in India. Chandrayan 2 will mainly consist of a lander, which is being developed by Russia, and a rover, which is currently being fabricated in Indian laboratories," he said.<br /><br />Since its inception around five decades ago, ISRO has accomplished 31 launch vehicle missions, built 55 Indian satellites and fabricated 2 satellites for foreign customers, said Radhakrishnan.</p>
<p>"A mission to Mars, for several reasons, has become a priority for us. We are trying to actualise the ideas as soon as possible. Deep space missions have their own challenges. Gravitational forces from different planets, x-rays from sun and various other hazards have to be carefully monitored before the mission, besides a study of Martian surface," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said.<br /><br />Speaking at the silver jubilee celebrations of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Radhakrishnan touched on future missions of ISRO, including ASTROSAT - India's first dedicated multi-wavelength astronomy satellite, Chandrayan 2, the sequel to lunar mission Chandrayan 1, and a possible human-spaceflight.<br /><br />"Chandrayaan 1 was cornerstone of deep space exploration in India. Chandrayan 2 will mainly consist of a lander, which is being developed by Russia, and a rover, which is currently being fabricated in Indian laboratories," he said.<br /><br />Since its inception around five decades ago, ISRO has accomplished 31 launch vehicle missions, built 55 Indian satellites and fabricated 2 satellites for foreign customers, said Radhakrishnan.</p>