PATHWAYS FOR INDIAN AEROSPACE PROGRAMMES : NEXT 25 YEARS

摘要

The centenary of Wright brothers' flight of a heavier than air vehicle has recently been celebrated all over the world. The advent of airplane has transformed the means of transport across continental distances and ways of fighting a war. Similarly the field of Astronautics based on rocket propulsion has emerged as the backbone of creating manned and unmanned space systems in less than 50 years with the launch of Sputnik on 4th October 1957. As climaxing events the flight of US $ 10M Ansari X-prize winning Space Ship One vehicle and the X - 43 A Scram jet touching Mach 10 are demonstrating the marriage of aircraft, rockets and advanced air breathing engines to pave the way for exciting new developments in aerospace systems. A US $ 50M Ansari prize has been announced for space tourism with reusable vehicles.