The government of India has already announced plans for a lunar space mission — and after that, it’s aiming for Mars.
Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said the United States and Europe appear to favour a global partnership in this context, and India would be more than willing to be a partner in this huge exercise. “For mankind, the next interesting thing (after moon) is Mars,” Nair told PTI in Bangalore.”To reach there and make an investigation is a big challenge. After the moon, Mars could be logical step,” he said. India has proposed an unmanned scientific mission to moon (Chandrayaan-I) in early 2008, in a Rs 380 crore project. The 525 kg satellite is planned to be launched on board India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and placed in 100 km polar orbit around the moon.
Link to item on Bruce Sterling’s blog.