Indian astronauts to begin training in Russia for country's first manned space mission

India's space agency the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is gearing up for its week-long space mission worth $1.31 billion. Four astronauts have been shortlisted from the Indian Air Force after a series of tests conducted in India and Russia.

ISRO Chief K. Sivan said on Wednesday that four shortlisted astronauts would be sent to Russia for an 11-month training program by the end of January, in preparation for India's first crewed space mission - 'Gaganyaan' - scheduled for January 2022.

Addressing the media in New Delhi, Sivan said so far; Astronaut Rakesh Sharma has been the only Indian to fly to Space, and that was in a Russian module. "But this time Indian astronauts will travel to space in an Indian module and from India."

The ISRO, in a statement issued during the annual briefing, had stated that the shortlisted astronauts would undergo training in Russia for 11 months and return to India for module-specific training.

However, when asked whether a human-crewed mission to the moon was on the India space agency's list, Sivan said: "Definitely, but not immediately."

The spacecraft, which is supposed to carry the astronauts, is a 3.7-tonne capsule designed to maximise the safety and security of the crew.

To prevent any untoward incident, the ISRO will conduct two crewless missions and has set up a 'Human Space Flight Centre' in Bengaluru to implement the Gaganyaan project.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Ganganyaan project last year during his Independence Day speech on 15 August, stating that the project will take off in the 75th year of India's Independence. The country celebrated its 73rd independence day in 2019.

Source: RIA Novosti

Related Links
Indian Space Research Organisation
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Collins Aerospace to supply critical subsystems for NASA's Orion spacecraft
Windsor Locks CT (SPX) Jan 20, 2020
Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide critical subsystems to support production of NASA's Orion spacecraft fleet for Artemis missions III through VIII. Valued at $320 million, the systems being provided by Collins Aerospace will play an important role in enabling NASA's goal of boots on the Moon by 2024, as well as establishing a sustained presence on and around the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars. The key s ... read more