Between now and 2015, Chandrayaan-2—which will make a touchdown on the moon’s surface—is expected to happen. It will include a lander and a rover to walk on the lunar surface. An Indian landing on the moon—a nearly 3,84,000 km journey—will be gradual, given the expenses involved.
But preparation for the manned space flight has begun. M.P. Dathan, director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, said the gslv would be "upgraded to fit in human capsules, and a new launch pad at Sriharikota built for the purpose".
Would it be a man or a woman in space in 2015? Replied Madhavan Nair: "The number of women who have travelled in space is low. But we have no gender bias. The selection normally starts 3-4 years before the mission. Typically, if you have to narrow down on two astronauts, we start with some 200. They go through training and fitness tests. After that we select two people as prime and two as redundant. The process is open to all."
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