US Training for Indian Astronauts will help improve design of ‘Gaganyaan’: ISRO Chief

Bangalore, July 7. The training, Indian astronauts receive in the United States for a proposed flight to the International Space Station, as per a recently signed US-India agreement, will help in preparations for the Gaganyaan manned mission, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S. Somanath said.

The ISRO chairman, who spoke to the media on the sidelines of a G20 meeting of space economy leaders in Bengaluru said, the agreement was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US.

“There was a statement on human spaceflight which was about India and the US working together for a combined human spaceflight to the International Space Station.

This particular activity is something that the US wants and India also finds it beneficial for the its space program because once an Indian prepares to go to the International Space Station, they will undergo a training program in the US, they are going to come back and discuss how the training and skills were imparted, this will help design our Gaganyaan better,” Somanath said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has underlined the importance of collaborating with the United States in training astronauts for the India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission.

As preparation for the India’s first manned mission gets underway, ISRO’s partnership with US in astronaut training will play a crucial role in equipping Indian astronauts with necessary skills and expertise for successful space exploration.

In a bid to prepare its astronauts for the challenges of space travel, ISRO has sought help from the US for specialised training.

The collaboration will provide Indian astronauts with access to the vast knowledge and infrastructure available in the US which has a rich history in human spaceflight programmes.

The training involves a variety of aspects to microgravity, including physical adaptations, emergency procedures, spacecraft techniques and managing complex space systems.

The collaboration also helps provide access to state-of-the-art facilities such as simulators and training centres, which accurately replicate the conditions of the space.

This pilot training will enable the astronauts to familiarise themselves with the intricacies of space travel and builds confidence in handling mission critical situations.

The Gaganyaan mission holds significance for India as it aims to send astronauts into space, showcasing the Country’s progress in space technology and space exploration.

ISRO, which had earlier set a target of 2022 for carrying out the Gaganyaan mission, has now pushed the timeline for the mission to late 2024 or early 2025 to ensure the safety of the astronauts.

The ISRO chief indicated that the Gaganyaan programme was trying to gather more expertise to ensure that the spacecraft is adequately designed and safe for flying astronauts.

Somanath however refuted suggestions that Indian astronauts will first fly to the International Space Station, on a US mission before a Gaganyaan mission is attempted.

“We have not signed any agreement or MoU on this. There has been a discussion at the highest level on having an Indian fly to the International Space Station with training in US facilities. This is what is decided at the highest level and we have to work out the details of it in the coming days.

An agreement will be signed by NASA and ISRO on this account,” the ISRO chairman said.

Earlier in June the ISRO chairman had stated that ‘safety-first’ had become the priority of the plans for the first Indian manned mission to space and that, time frames for the mission would be decided on the basis of ISRO’s confidence in sending astronauts into space and bringing them back safely.

Somanath said that by training in the US for a flight to the International Space Station, the Indian astronauts from the Indian Air Force who have been training for India’s first manned mission will be able to provide inputs for the better design of the Gaganyaan spacecraft for India’s maiden manned mission.

Four Indian astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission have been trained so far at facilities in Russia.

“The current schedule is that there will be an unmanned mission in the beginning of next year. This year we will have the abort missions.

Last month the ISRO chief had indicated that it has decided to adopt a cautious approach to India’s human spaceflight program by putting the safety of the astronauts who will fly on the mission at the core of the project rather than target dates for achieving the mission.

“We have a different way of thinking now. The thinking is that we do not want to rush the decision. The primary objective of human space flight is a sure shot, safe mission. We have redefined it in such a way that we will achieve success in the very first attempt,”

The first human spaceflight mission had initially been given a 2022 target by the centre in order to coincide with 75 years of Indian independence but the program was thrown out of gear by the Covid pandemic which engulfed the country, he said.

In order to achieve the redefined mission objective of safety and a sure shot mission ISRO has “enhanced the testing and demonstration missions substantially in the recent time and that involves additional abort missions,” Somnath said.