Indian Space Research Organisation would, in consultation with a national team of scientists, bring out a document in a month on India's possible participation in manned mission to space, ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said on Thursday.
Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission, said that during a presentation made to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, the latter had suggested looking into the issue by a national team of scientists to 'crystallise and converge' on the mission.
Nair clarified that the prime minister gave no directive on the manned mission, on which a decision is yet to be taken.
"We will bring out a document in the course of one month," he told PTI.
It would contain pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages of India going in for a manned mission.
"Manned mission is very, very complex and very expensive, and a host of new technologies will have to be developed," Nair said.
On the positive side, if India indeed decides to go ahead with the manned mission, it would give a tremendous impetus to the development of many new technologies, including relating to life-supporting ones.
"We made a brief outline (on the manned mission). It was just feeding an idea. The prime minister wanted to know what we will gain and what we will be able to achieve (if we go in for manned mission)", he said.
Senior Space Department officials estimate the cost of manned mission to be in the region of Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore.
Nair said the Space Department's requirements for the 11th plan was listed. In the Tenth plan, it was allocated Rs 15,000 crore. "We expect a substantial increase." he said.