News Brief
Gaganyaan: Here's How The Astronauts Are Preparing For India's First Manned Space Mission
Four ISRO astronauts for Gaganyaan mission.
As India gears up for its maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scientists have revealed the rigorous training regimen that four Indian Air Force officers, designated as astronauts, undergo to prepare for the journey into space.
The four astronauts, Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap, along with Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, are currently undergoing training at the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) astronaut facility in Bengaluru.
Described as having the physical and mental prowess akin to "super athletes", these individuals undergo intensive training encompassing aerobic, anaerobic exercises, and yoga.
Their training regimen also includes medical evaluations every six months to ensure their physiological and mental health remains at an optimum level.
While the specifics of the training remain classified due to the nature of the project, insights provided by experts shed light on the challenges astronauts face, reported Indian Express.
In addition to physical fitness, mental strength is paramount for astronauts to withstand the demanding conditions of space travel.
Part of the physiological and psychological conditioning of the astronauts and all the medical evaluations are conducted by aerospace medicine experts at the Indian Air Force’s Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) in Bengaluru.
The training also includes psychological conditioning to ensure astronauts remain calm and focused during the mission.
“Psychology is very important because there should be a certainty that no crash or fire will happen. When you are psychologically affected, then your normal senses will not work. You will not be able to put off a simple switch because your psychology has taken over,” Gaganyaan project director Dr Hutton has said last year.
