Indian astronauts, who are a part of the potential team for a human space flight mission in 2024, have returned home after completing required training in Russia.
Under the Gaganyaan Mission, India is planning three main programmes– the unmanned space mission, the unmanned female robot Vyomitra Mission in 2023 and the human space flight mission in 2024.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Union Minister for Earth and Sciences Dr Jitender Singh said the mission was supposed to be launched in 2023 but got delayed due to COVID-19.
“Some of our potential astronauts were getting their training for the Gaganyaan mission in Russia but the timeline got disturbed due to Covid. Now they are back after receiving the training and now are taking further training in India. To be in space, there is crucial training that needs to be taken keeping the gravitational factor in mind, the change in the environment that also is complete but two tests mission need to be done before that. So such training is being done in India at the moment.”
Dr Singh said Gaganyaan Mission is an indigenous programme planned by the Government of India. “Earlier as part of the human spaceflight mission, Indian citizen Rakesh Sharma was sent to space but it was a mission by the Soviet Union. This will be the first time that under the leadership of PM Modi, an Indian astronaut will be sent to space.”
When asked if the astronaut will be male or female, the Union Minister said the decision is yet to be taken. “Those details are being looked into. Right now a group of astronauts are being trained that included both genders and the ISRO scientists will chalk out details. As far as the two unmanned missions under Gaganyaan are concerned, this year they will be conducting a test mission for the safe landing of the human space mission.”
“There should be no ifs and buts of the safety of the landing back of mission so in order to ensure make sure that these two test missions will take place this year,” he added.
Commenting on the re-launch of the Chandrayaan mission, Dr Singh said, “It is wrong to say that we crashed landed, not fair for scientists to say that. Such last-minute errors happen, it is not unknown. If you go by the statistics, the number of such happening is much lesser compared to the American space mission. Now part of it is already there now when the next attempt is made, it will be much more cost-effective. Research is going on for the launch as of now.”