ISRO Chairman: US Training For Indian Astronauts Will Help Improve Design Of 'Gaganyaan'

The recently signed US-India agreement for training Indian astronauts in the US for a proposed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) will also aid in the preparations for India's Gaganyaan manned mission, according to S Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The agreement between India and the United States, signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US, involves joint efforts towards human spaceflight to the ISS.

The training programme in the US will provide valuable insights and skills that can be utilized in designing the Gaganyaan mission.

“There was a statement on human spaceflight which was about India and the US working together for a combined human spaceflight to the ISS. This particular activity is something that the US wants and India also finds it beneficial for the Indian space program because once an Indian prepares to go to the ISS they will undergo a training program in the US and they are going to come back and discuss how the training and skills were imparted and this will help design our Gaganyaan better,” Somanath was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

To prioritise astronaut safety, ISRO has revised the timeline for the Gaganyaan mission.

Initially targeted for 2022, the mission is now scheduled for late 2024 or early 2025.

This extension will allow for additional measures to be implemented to ensure the spacecraft's design and overall safety meet the necessary standards.

Somanath shared these updates during a G20 meeting of space economy leaders in Bengaluru.

While addressing the media, he clarified that Indian astronauts will not first fly to the ISS on a US mission before attempting the Gaganyaan mission, refuting any such suggestions.

“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 much 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.

The ISRO chairman expressed his hopes that the agreement will outline the number of individuals to be trained and the number who will actually fly to the ISS.

Additionally, the agreement should specify the technical and scientific engagement that will occur as part of this understanding, according to the ISRO chief.

ISRO is currently engaged in discussions with NASA at various levels to finalise these details, he added.

Earlier in June, the ISRO chairman emphasised that safety is the top priority for the first Indian manned mission to space. The time frames for the mission will be determined based on ISRO's confidence in ensuring the safe journey and return of astronauts.

The ISRO chairman explained that the design of the Gaganyaan, India's manned spacecraft, has been developed with input from the country's only experienced astronaut, Rakesh Sharma.

Somanath said that he frequently consults Sharma to gather insights about the spacecraft's functionality and features.

“If you call someone else no one is going to speak to you. We have four astronauts who have undergone training and they know some of the design. The Gaganyaan craft is currently designed from the information provided by these people,” he said.

Somanath said that by training in the US for a flight to the ISS 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.

The ISRO chairman said that discussions need to be held with the Indian astronauts to determine various aspects such as seating arrangements, handling procedures, emergency protocols, oxygen management, and equipment replacements in a cockpit-like environment.

Somanath said that the manned ISRO mission is scheduled to take place over a year from now.

“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. The manned mission is being talked about for the end of 2024 or early 2025. It depends on various other scenarios,” the ISRO chairman said.

Originally, the first human spaceflight mission was planned for 2022 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the programme between 2021 and 2022, causing significant delays.