with its major implications for energy exploitation, science and technology, politics and defense. India's lunar exploration program has three phases. It will first launch a lunar probe, then land a lunar robot to conduct research and finally send an Indian astronaut to the moon.

According to recent reports on website of the Press Trust of India, the ISRO had finished integrating the 11 instruments in the lunar probe on its maiden mission to the moon by early June. It is currently doing comprehensive experiments to ensure that the whole system will operate in line with preset goals. If everything goes well, the probe is due to take off on a PSLV launcher on September 19. It will not land on the moon but will collect data on its polar ice and capture surface images. The mission will take at least two years.

India believes an advanced manned space program is crucial to its space exploration. Apart from training astronauts, it has made technological preparations to send a man into space. For example, it has developed cryogenic rocket engines, a key technology for manned space missions.

India retrieved its first recoverable space capsule in January 2007, an initial experiment of manned space flight. It proved India's capacity to control space capsules and marked a major breakthrough in its manned space program. The ISRO has announced that India will launch a manned mission into space on its 3-ton manned spacecraft in 2014 and will send its first astronaut to the moon by 2020. The manned space program has an estimated budget of $2.5 to $3 billion.

Missile awareness

In its early days, India imported missile weapons, including cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles, first from Britain and France and later from the former Soviet Union. In the 1990s, profound changes in the international security environment had a major impact on India's military strategy. As it sought to elevate itself to the status of a leading world power and a regional military power, it redoubled its efforts to adjust its military strategy and boost its arsenal. It implemented its Integrated Guided Missile Development Program in the 1980s under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. India's Defense Research and Development Organization was responsible for the program, which focused on research on surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles. This marked the beginning of India's efforts to develop indigenous strategic and tactical missiles. In the 21st century, the country is attaching even greater importance to the development of missiles. It has become a major missile-capable country in Asia and will continue to modernize its missiles, especially ballistic missiles, mainly based on its own research.

India has developed four series of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, the short-range Prithvi, the medium-range Agni, the long-range Surya and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Because ballistic missiles are costly to develop and restricted by international treaties, India has taken cruise missiles as major carriers for its nuclear warheads. Cruise missiles fly slower and lower but are more accurate than ballistic missiles. While intensifying research on nuclear weapons, India sees great value in the importation and development of cruise missiles. It has imported the Uran Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missile system and the Club supersonic cruise missile system from Russia, jointly developed the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with Russia, and developed the Sagarika submarine-launched cruise missile on its own.

In recent years, as it tries to turn itself into a major military power in South Asia and the world at large, India has devoted increasing efforts to developing an air defense system. It is also contemplating strengthening its anti-ballistic capabilities to deter other countries in the region. Most of India's air defense missiles are imported from Russia, the United States and Israel. It plans to shape a missile interception system with imported air defense missiles and homemade anti-ballistic missiles.

India is strong in air defense. It purchased the S-300P antimissile system from Russia in 1998. In 2000, it signed the purchase agreement with Russia for the Antey-2500 anti-tactical missile system including its command, control and communications equipment. In addition, it will import the more advanced S-400 antimissile system from Russia. India