Gaganyaan marks India’s return to space exploration after 40 years, following Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey in 1984.
In a significant announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the names of the four astronauts selected for India’s inaugural manned space mission, Gaganyaan. Describing them as the embodiment of the aspirations of India’s 1.4 billion citizens, Modi introduced Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Subhanshu Shukla at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thumba.
Modi, along with ISRO chief S Somanath, adorned the astronauts’ uniforms with gold wings, symbolizing their significance as “India’s pride.” “These individuals represent not just names, but the collective hopes of 1.4 billion Indians reaching for the stars. I commend them and wish them success,” Modi expressed.
Among the selected astronauts, Group Captain Prashant B Nair, a Sukhoi Military Pilot, hails from Kerala. As part of the rigorous preparation for India’s ambitious mission, the four pilots underwent training, including a stint in Russia, and are currently familiarizing themselves with mission specifics at an ISRO facility.
ISRO has established an astronaut training facility in Bangalore, encompassing various modules such as classroom sessions, physical fitness regimens, simulator training, and flight suit preparation. The training curriculum covers academic courses, familiarity with Gaganyaan flight systems, exposure to microgravity through parabolic flights, aeromedical training, recovery and survival protocols, flight procedure mastery, and teamwork simulations.
Collaborating closely with ISRO, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been integral to the Gaganyaan mission. In the past, the IAF released fitness training videos featuring the selected pilots for the mission.
The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a crew of four astronauts into low Earth orbit for a three-day mission, marking India’s entry as the fourth nation, after the US, Russia, and China, to independently undertake human spaceflight. ISRO has conducted several tests in preparation for the mission, including a crucial abort test to ensure crew safety.
In a significant development, ISRO unveiled Vyommitra, a female humanoid astronaut companion, slated to accompany astronauts on future missions. The iconic LVM3 rocket, utilized for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, will serve as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan. Renamed Human Rated LVM3, the rocket has been reconfigured to meet the specific requirements of human spaceflight.
With preparations in full swing, India’s Gaganyaan project, named after the Sanskrit word for “craft or vehicle overhead,” represents a milestone in the nation’s space exploration journey, developed at a cost of 90 billion rupees ($1 billion).
