Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday unveiled the identities of the four esteemed astronauts earmarked for India's inaugural human space flight endeavor, Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch in 2024-25.
The selected quartet comprises Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, all hailing from the Indian Air Force, honed through rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
During his visit to Kerala, PM Modi undertook a comprehensive review of the Gaganyaan mission's progress, bestowing 'astronaut wings' upon the designated spacefarers at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The mission stands as India's pioneering foray into human space exploration, with meticulous groundwork underway across various ISRO facilities.
Addressing the gathering at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, PM Modi underscored the catalytic role of India's strides in space exploration in fostering a robust scientific ethos among the nation's youth. He envisioned India's ascent as a global economic powerhouse, coinciding with the elevation of its space endeavors through initiatives like Gaganyaan.
According to ISRO, the Gaganyaan project seeks to validate human spaceflight capabilities by deploying a crew of three to orbit 400 km above Earth for a three-day mission, culminating in a safe return via splashdown in Indian waters. Key prerequisites encompass the development of pivotal technologies, including a human-rated launch vehicle, life support systems, crew emergency protocols, and comprehensive crew management frameworks.
A series of precursor missions, such as the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV) flights, are slated to demonstrate the requisite technological readiness ahead of the manned mission. The deployment of the LVM3 rocket, ISRO's proven heavy-lift launcher, has been earmarked for the Gaganyaan mission.
Ensuring human safety remains paramount, necessitating the development and implementation of cutting-edge engineering and human-centric systems. India's recent triumphs, including the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's South Pole and the launch of Aditya-L1, underscore its growing prowess in the global space arena, catalyzing momentum in the domestic private space sector.
Looking ahead, India sets ambitious goals, aiming to establish the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035 and dispatch its first astronaut to the Moon by 2040, further cementing its stature as a formidable player in space exploration.
