India has announced plans to launch its own space station. The chairman of the Indian space agency, K. Sivan, told reporters Thursday that India is targeting 2030 as the date to launch a 20 ton space station, VOA news reports.
He said India will not collaborate with any country on the ambitious mission.
Sivan said the space station will be needed to support India’s first human space flight – the space agency has begun preparations to send three astronauts into space in 2022.
The space station project will be another key step in India’s growing ambitions in space exploration. In July, it is planning to launch its second mission to the moon.
The only operational space station at present is the International Space Station, which is owned by a consortium of nations.