India plans to test space shuttle in next 12 months

India has developed a space shuttle and plans to launch a prototype into the Earth's orbit in the next 12 months, officials said on Thursday. The disclosure marks yet another giant leap for India's space programme following last year's successful lunar mission, Chandrayaan 1, and a significant step towards India becoming a major player in space transportation. It hopes the shuttle will enable India to offer cut-price satellite launches and become a dominant player in the industry. Last night officials said if successful the shuttle may, in time, be used for other transport uses, but its main purpose now is to "reduce the cost of access to space." More

(Source: Telegraph.co.uk - Apr 3)