Moscow: India would launch its first manned space flights by sending two astronauts in an orbit in a Russian spaceship in 2013, according to reports. For this, the Indian Space Research Organisation  (ISRO) is to finance the acquisition of a Soyuz spaceship and train its astronauts by a Russian commander.

The Russian cosmonaut would lead the two-member crew on an independent space flight lasting several days, ‘Voice of Russia” radio reported. Quoting deputy chief of Russian space agency (Roskosmos) Vitaly Davidov the radio siad the flight o Indian astronauts would not involve a mission to the International Space Station.