Gaganyaan mission: Indian astronauts to start training in Russia next week

The four astronauts shortlisted for the Gaganyaan project, India's first manned space mission, will receive training in Russia for 11 months, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Singh, who is the Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, said their training in Russia will start from the third week of January.

"After 11 months of training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India. In that, they will be trained in crew and service module designed by Isro, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations," the statement read.

The Rs 10,000-crore ambitious project is expected to be launched in 2022, the year of the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.

India's heaviest launch vehicle Bahubali GSLV Mark-III will carry the astronauts to space.