New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Though the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has expressed its intent to send a manned moon mission by 2015, Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan Thursday told parliament that India has no such plans.
In reply to a question on whether India proposes to send a man to the moon, Chavan said: “No sir.”

The minister, however, informed the Rajya Sabha that “India is planning for a follow-on mission Chandrayaan-2, which has an orbitor and lander which land on moon (sic) and a rover which moves on the surface of the moon to probe its surface”.

India launched Chandrayaan-1, the country’s first lunar mission Oct 22 last year. On Nov 14, the Indian national flag was deposited on the moon’s surface.

Earlier this year, ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair said: “Now ISRO has planned a manned moon mission by 2015.”

ISRO has also planned a manned space flight program to develop and launch an orbital vehicle that will carry a two-member crew to the earth’s lower orbit. The programme is expected to be complete by 2015 and is awaiting the government’s final clearance.