One of the four astronauts selected for India’s Gaganyaan mission will embark on a space trip to the International Space Station (ISS) after August, Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
This visit would mark a significant step in India’s first human-crewed spaceflight program, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The upcoming ISS mission will be a collaborative effort between ISRO and NASA, the US space agency.
Singh stressed on the joint nature of the project, stating, “ISRO is pursuing a joint mission with NASA to ISS, wherein one ‘Gaganyaatri’ will undertake space travel to ISS.”
He also highlighted that the mission involves Axiom Space, a private entity identified by NASA, with whom ISRO recently signed a spaceflight agreement.
The announcement comes in response to a question posed by Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy regarding the 'Axiom-4 Mission' and its relation to Gaganyaan.
According to NASA, this mission will be the fourth private astronaut launch to the ISS and is expected to take place no earlier than August 2024 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the identities of the four selected ‘Gaganyaatris’ in February, all of whom are elite fighter pilots from the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The astronauts include Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla.
Their selection marks a significant milestone for India’s aspirations in human spaceflight.
Singh further informed the Lok Sabha that the IAF pilots are currently undergoing rigorous training at ISRO’s Astronauts Training Facility in Bengaluru.
He noted that they have completed two of the three semesters in their training program, which includes using independent training simulators and static mockup simulators to prepare for the challenges of space travel.
The Gaganyaan project aims for a three-day crewed mission and is slated for launch next year, signifying a new era in India's space exploration endeavors.
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