The ISRO is in total buzz and bustle as preparations for India’s premier human space flight program The Gaganyaan Mission, is currently in full swing at different ISRO facilities.
A Proud, Pumping-Up Ceremony
At a function at the Isro centre in the southern city of Thiruvananthapuram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclosed the identities of the chosen quartet set to embark on this historic mission. Currently undergoing intensive training, the selected astronauts are officers from the Indian Air Force – Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
The four astronaut-designates were described as “dreamers, adventurers and valiant men preparing to go into space”.
Pinning badges with golden wings of to the four men, PM Narendra Modi and Isro chief S Somanath called them, ‘the four powers who will carry the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians to space.’
Why did India take up The Gaganyaan Mission?
The vision of the Gaganyaan initiative involves showcasing India’s prowess at conducting human space travel by sending a crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission with a safe return to Earth by landing in the waters of the Indian sea.
In a significant milestone, ISRO has successfully concluded acceptance tests for the flight engine designated for the inaugural Gaganyaan (G1) mission, tentatively slated for the second quarter of 2024.
This engine, destined to propel the upper stage of the human-rated LVM3 vehicle, boasts a formidable thrust capability ranging from 19 to 22 tonnes and an impressive specific impulse of 442.5 seconds.
PREparations for Gaganyaan
ISRO has conducted various tests in preparation for the upcoming flight. In October, the agency the crew’s ability to safely escape the rocket in the event of a malfunction was efficaciously tested.
ISRO’s Skillful Space Spirit
India has achieved phenomenal and unprecedented milestones in 2023. The successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s South Pole and the launch of Aditya-L1, marking the country’s inaugural solar mission.
Looking ahead, India has set its sights on ambitious goals, including the Gaganyaan Mission scheduled for 2024-2025, the establishment of the ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ by 2035, and the groundbreaking mission of sending the first Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
Moreover, India has introduced four accomplished Air Force pilots who are now in contention for the historic maiden space flight, slated for the upcoming year.
Isro announced plans for a test flight in 2024, which would involve sending a robot into space, with the subsequent plan to send astronauts into space in 2025. Today,
27th Feb 2024, Isro provided a preview of Vyommitra, the woman humanoid set to be sent into space later this year.
Aiming for the stars, India has ambitious future space endeavours, declaring its intention to establish a space station by 2035 and to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040
