Russia & India to partner on lunar rover, sources say

The source is questionable, as is what appears to be a translation from Hindi, but Russia and India may be preparing to partner in building a robotic lunar rover for a mission in 2013. Like Bejing, the ISRO and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) appear to lack the confidence to compete with contestants seeking Google's X-Prize.

According to "TimesNow.tv," an Indian website affiliated with Reuters, an announcement is expected Thursday, or overnight in the United States.

With Russian help, "India's space stations and space research centers will put in an integrated effort to launch the mission. The ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore will build the spacecraft, where as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center will build the launch vehicle. The spacecraft will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and the mission data will be examined by the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad."

"Reports suggest that there is the possibility of a third country being invited to buy space for placing scientific instruments on the mission."

"Ajay Lele, a research fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, says the significance of the mission is to explore the possibility of landing a man on the moon. "It has almost become a moon race for the Asians. Within a span of 8 to 10 years China and India would like to have theri man on moon. Therefore, they would like to know the entire topography and the terrain of the moon," he said."

Whether the timing of the public release of mission plans is related to the People's Daily announcement yesterday of a similar effort by Beijing to land robotics on the Moon also in 2013, and also in anticipation of future manned landings, the Indians appear to have fully bought into the Russian vision and share Moscow's determination to mine Helium 3 for use in an undeveloped fusion technology.

"Ajay Lele," according to NewsTime, "a research fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, says the significance of the mission is to explore the possibility of landing a man on the moon."

"It has almost become a moon race for the Asians. Within a span of 8 to 10 years China and India would like to have theri man on moon. Therefore, they would like to know the entire topography and the terrain of the moon, he said."

"Lele suggested that Mission Moon may also help to address the energy woes that our planet is facing. "Availability of minerals on moon is in abundance and it is expected that Helium III, which is available in abundance there, will definitely help the mankind solve its energy woes," he said."

"The space co-operation will last till the year 2017."