Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Muskan Arora
The four astronaut-designates chosen for India's ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission are currently undergoing rigorous training at the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) crew training facility in Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently bestowed the astronaut wings upon the selected candidates during a ceremony, marking a significant step in India's space exploration endeavours.
The astronaut quartet, comprising Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, is engaged in a comprehensive training regimen, encompassing classroom sessions, simulator training, microgravity familiarization, survival drills, and flying practices.
The training curriculum includes aero-medical aspects, recovery and survival procedures, academic courses on Gaganyaan flight systems, physical fitness sessions, simulator training, and spacesuit familiarization.
Prior to their training in India, the astronauts underwent general spaceflight training in Russia at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, laying the groundwork for mission-specific preparations.
ISRO sources reveal that the training involves over 200 specialized lectures by ISRO scientists and faculty from the Indian Institute of Science, in addition to 75 fitness sessions and 12 hours of flying practices.
The Bengaluru facility boasts various simulators, including the Independent Training Simulator, Virtual Reality Training Simulator, Dynamic Training Simulator, and Static Mock-up Simulator, essential for preparing astronauts for nominal and emergency scenarios.
The intensive regimen aims to provide hands-on experience in operating critical systems within the crew module, crucial for the astronauts' successful voyage aboard India's GSLV Mk III rocket by the end of 2025.
The Gaganyaan project signifies India's aspiration to demonstrate indigenous capability in human spaceflight by sending a three-member crew to low earth orbit for three days and safely bringing them back, aiming to establish India as the fourth country in the world to independently undertake human space missions.