Rocket, crew module success opens way for India's manned flight

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Dec 18: India Thursday moved a step closer to sending its own manned mission to space as well as heavy satellites when it successfully tested a next generation rocket and crew module. The country took forward its rocket technology with the successful flight testing of its heaviest next-generation rocket -- the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mark III) -- and the crew module- in a 20.43 minute mission. "The crew module that splashed in Bay of Bengal has been loaded on to an Indian Coast Guard ship to be brought to Ennore Port, near Chennai," S.Somanath, project director,GSLV-Mark III told IANS. According to him the crew module is expected to reach Ennore Port Dec 22 where initial inspections and tests will be carried out to assess the heat-bearing aspects of its exterior.