By R. Anil Kumar
Bangalore, August 29. India’s exploration of space has seen tremendous leaps over the decades, and the Success of Chandrayaan-3 speaks volumes of its achievements. The forthcoming Gaganyaan mission is a testament to the nation’s commitment to pushing boundaries. As recently announced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, India will mark another historic milestone by sending “Vyommitra”, a humanoid robot dressed in female attire, into the depths of space.
The Resilient Journey of Gaganyaan Originally delayed due to the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gaganyaan mission is back on track, with trial spaceflights expected to commence as early as October this year. Once this preliminary phase finds success, Vyommitra, an embodiment of the fusion of technology and human-like capabilities, will lead the subsequent phase of the mission.
What Is Gaganyaan Mission?
Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability. It plans to launch a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
The pre-requisites for Gaganyaan mission include development of many critical technologies including human rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space. It will also require a life support system to provide an earth like environment to crew in space, crew emergency escape provision and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew.
The ISRO website states that various missions are planned before Gaganyaan actually starts the mission. These precursor missions are for demonstrating the Technology Preparedness Levels before carrying out the actual Human Space Flight mission. These demonstrator missions include Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT) and Test Vehicle (TV) flights. The safety and reliability of all systems will be proven in unmanned missions preceding manned mission.
India’s Grand Space Endeavour Gaganyaan’s pimary objective is to showcase India’s prowess in human spaceflight. As per ISRO, the mission’s blueprint includes a challenging task of transporting a crew of three to an orbit of 400 km, allowing them to embark on a three-day orbital sojourn, and subsequently ensuring their safe descent into Indian territorial waters. Apart from this monumental task, the Gaganyaan mission is also focused on creating and perfecting technologies essential for such ventures, including the development of human-rated launch vehicles and sophisticated life support systems that mimic Earth’s environment.
Understanding the Gaganyaan Mission
The Gaganyaan mission is a comprehensive space venture aimed at showcasing India’s ability to conduct human spaceflight.
The objective involves sending a crew of three individuals to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission, followed by a safe return to Earth.
The mission necessitates the development of critical technologies, including crew-rated launch vehicles, life support systems, and emergency escape provisions.
The safety and reliability of all systems will be tested through unmanned missions preceding the manned mission.
Vyommitra: The Star of Gaganyaan Unveiled at the ‘Human Spaceflight and Exploration – Present Challenges and Future Trends’ event in 2021, Vyommitra stole the spotlight and captured imaginations. Deriving its name from Sanskrit words, where “Vyoma” translates to space and “Mitra” means friend, Vyommitra is more than just a robot; it’s India’s space-faring companion. During its mission, this extraordinary humanoid will be tasked with vital responsibilities. From monitoring module parameters and executing life support operations to carrying out switch panel tasks, Vyommitra is designed to be the perfect surrogate for human astronauts, preparing the path for the eventual human spaceflight envisioned for 2024.
The involvement of Vyommitra in the mission is seen as a pivotal step towards assessing and mimicking the activities astronauts would perform in space.
Who is Vyommitra? Meet the Female Robot that ISRO is sending on Gaganyaan Mission
Union Minister of State for Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the trials for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO)’s Gagayaan missions will start in October. He also said that the second phase of the mission will launch a female space-faring humanoid robot Vyommitra.
What Can It Do?
Vyommitra: The Integral Component
Vyommitra, as said, is a combination of two Sanskrit words Vyoma (Space) and Mitra (Friend). Vyommitra is the prototype of the half-humanoid and has been made for the first unmanned Gaganyaan mission. Female humanoid Vyommitra first made her appearance at the opening session of the 2021 event ‘Human Spaceflight and Exploration – Present Challenges and Future Trends’.
Vyommitra can monitor through module parameters, send alerts and perform life support operations. It can perform activities like switch panel operations. The robot can also be a companion and converse with the astronauts, recognise them and can also respond to their queries. The half-humanoid will simulate human functions in space and also interact with the environment control life support system.
Vyommitra’s Contributions
During the mission, Vyommitra’s role will encompass monitoring module parameters, issuing alerts, performing life support operations, managing switch panel functions, and emulating other essential human actions within the space environment.
Phase Two: Vyommitra’s Inclusion
The second phase of the Gaganyaan mission will witness the launch of ‘Vyommitra,‘ a humanoid robot resembling a space-faring entity in female attire.
This humanoid robot is designed to simulate various tasks that humans would perform in a space environment.
Exploring Vyommitra’s Role
Vyommitra is crafted to execute specific functions that allow researchers to assess human behavior in space conditions.
Advanced planning is crucial for ensuring the safety of astronauts during such missions. Vyommitra’s activities will mimic those anticipated from astronauts during space missions.
Astronauts’ Participation and Timeline
After the initial phases, the manned mission of the Gaganyaan project will follow, involving the deployment of three astronauts. Union Minister Jitendra Singh anticipates that this phase might initiate by the year 2024.
Covid-19 Impact
The Union Science and Technology Minister attributed the delay of the Gaganyaan mission to the global Covid-19 pandemic, which caused disruptions in planned schedules and activities.
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, emphasised that while propelling astronauts into space is an achievement, ensuring their safe return is equally paramount.
As India gears up for this remarkable expedition, the world will be closely watching. The Gaganyaan mission, with Vyommitra at the forefront, promises not only to be a landmark in India’s space history but also a beacon of hope and inspiration for other space-faring nations globally.
