India's no to astronaut on US shuttle

India refuses the financial outlay for sending an Indian astronaut on a US space mission.

The understanding between India and the US to send an Indian astronaut on an American shuttle is unlikely to fructify with New Delhi virtually opting out.

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"The training of Indian astronaut entails a certain cost on us. We have to make a financial outlay for it," Foreign Secretary Shayam Saran told reporters here when referred to the issue.

He said the Indian space authorities had said it did not fit into their plans.

"So we have not pursued it," Saran said.

The two countries on July 18 last year had reached an understanding that they would cooperate in civil space areas and in this connection an Indian astronaut would participate in an American space mission.