Isro, Nasa partner to send Indian 'Gaganyaatri' to ISS after August

India is preparing to send an astronaut to the International Space Station as part of a collaborative mission with Nasa and Axiom Space, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha

India is all set for a significant milestone as it prepares to send an astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). Space Minister Jitendra Singh recently announced in Lok Sabha that an Indian astronaut, referred to as a "gaganyaatri", will soon travel to the ISS as part of an upcoming mission. This mission is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), Nasa, and the private company, Axiom Space.

In a written response to a query from Trinamool Congress MLA Saugata Roy, Singh detailed that the joint mission with Nasa will involve one astronaut from Isro, who will travel to the ISS, reported the Times of India.

This partnership has been formalised through a space flight agreement with Axiom Space. Nasa has also confirmed this collaboration, noting that the mission, designated as Axiom-4, is slated to launch no earlier than August 2024 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The selected astronaut for the ISS mission will be one of four Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots currently in training for Isro's Gaganyaan mission. These astronauts were chosen by Isro's Astronaut Selection Board and have previously undergone basic spaceflight training in Russia during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are now continuing their training at Isro's Astronauts Training Facility in Bengaluru.

Singh mentioned that two of the three training semesters for the gaganyaatri programme have been completed, and simulators for independent training and static mockups have been developed.

Regarding the launch vehicle, Singh provided an update that the solid and liquid propulsion stages of the human-rated launch vehicle are ready for flight integration, with the C32 cryogenic stage nearing completion. The crew module and service module structures are finished, and flight integration activities are underway.

What is Isro’s Gaganyaan Mission?

The Gaganyaan project is a significant mission for Isro, aiming to demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities by sending a crew of three into orbit for a three-day mission. Scheduled for launch in 2025, the mission will see the crew safely return to Earth, landing in Indian waters.

The Gaganyaan spacecraft consists of a service module and a crew module, known together as the Orbital Module. The mission will use the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk III, which can carry the required payload. The crew module, measuring 3.7 metres in diameter and 7 metres in height, will house three astronauts, including one woman. They will wear orange space suits designed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

During their mission, the astronauts will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, witnessing sunrises and sunsets and observing India from space. They will also conduct experiments in microgravity.