Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha that one of the four astronauts training for India's Gaganyaan mission will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a collaborative effort with NASA. NASA has identified Axiom Space, a private entity, for this mission. This collaboration was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US last year.
Astronaut training and selection
India's Astronaut Selection Board chose four astronauts from Indian Air Force test pilots for the Gaganyaan mission, which is planned for next year. These astronauts have completed basic spaceflight training in Russia and are currently undergoing training at ISRO's Astronauts Training Facility in Bengaluru. Two of the three semesters of the Gaganyatri training program have been completed.
Progress on Gaganyaan Mission
Minister Singh updated on the progress of the Gaganyaan mission, noting the completion of ground testing for propulsion systems, including solid, liquid, and cryogenic engines. The design and realization of the crew escape system's solid motors have been completed, along with static testing of these motors. The first Test Vehicle mission (TV-D1) successfully validated the crew escape system and parachute deployment.
Crew module and service module development
The designs of the crew module and service module structures are complete, and various parachute systems have undergone testing. The ground test program for the Crew Module Propulsion System has been completed, while the Service Module Propulsion System test program is nearing completion. The Thermal Protection System characterization has also been finalized.
Operational facilities
Critical ground facilities, including the Orbital Module Preparation Facility, Astronaut Training Facility, and Oxygen Testing Facility, have been operationalized. The Mission Control Centre and Ground Station networks are nearing completion. The solid and liquid propulsion stages of the human-rated launch vehicle are ready for flight integration, and the C32 cryogenic stage is nearing completion. Flight integration activities for the crew and service modules are in progress.
Also read | NITI Aayog meet: PM Modi calls for collective efforts towards ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’
