Indian government which has granted Rs 145 crore so far to do initial studies for a manned mission to space, is yet to approve the project that could cost over $2 billion.
India has been working on human space flight for over a decade, but it still does not have a rocket powerful enough to carry astronauts into space.
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is operationalising its geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle Mk-3 (GSLV-MK-3) later this year. This rocket could potentially carry around eight tonnes spacecraft to lower earth orbit.
On 5th July 2018 Isro tested a crew escape system (CES), which is a capsule that ejects from a rocket if it explodes on the launch pad.
The CES is a series of technology building blocks that Isro is developing for an eventual mission to carry astronauts to space.
Now Isro is on hunt in Indian Air Force pilots to identify the first set of astronauts for a human space flight. IAF pilot Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian to have travelled in space.
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