The much-touted Chandrayan I, the first lunar mission to be undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could well be a launch pad for a slew of activities and efforts to explore the Moon like never before.

If Chandrayan I is aiming at mapping the moon besides landing a lunar probe on its surface, Chandrayan II, tentatively scheduled for 2011-12, will land a rover to collect and analyse samples from the lunar surface. Yet another initiative is to carry an Indian to the moon — the first ever manned mission planned by the space agency — for which ISRO is about to complete a project report. If the Government approves the proposal, this mission would be undertaken by 2015.

In the latest development in astronomical research, the American space agency NASA has proposed to set up the International Lunar Network (ILN) with cooperation from agencies of other countries that have the wherewithal to launch missions to the moon. The effort is to set up a network of 6-8 stations on the Moon to study the celestial body closer and deeper.

ISRO was part of the meeting held at the Lunar Science Institute of NASA in California in the third week of July, and has indicated its interest in studying the proposal.

“That (ILN) is an idea floated by an international community of scientists. We had participated in the deliberations. Humans are looking at nearby objects to have a better understanding of our universe. In that context, we said we can cooperate and share scientific information,” ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said replying to a query, here, on Wednesday.

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