In a significant update on India's space ambitions, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is actively pursuing a joint mission with Nasa to the International Space Station (ISS).
This collaboration marks a major milestone in India's Gaganyaan program and its broader space exploration efforts.
According to Singh's statement in the Lok Sabha, one Indian astronaut, referred to as a "Gaganyaatri," will participate in this mission to the ISS. The joint venture involves Isro, Nasa, and Axiom Space, a Nasa-identified private entity. Isro has recently signed a Space Flight Agreement with Axiom Space to facilitate this mission.
The mission is expected to launch no earlier than August 2024 from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as part of the Axiom-4 Mission. This timeline aligns with Nasa and Axiom Space's plans for their fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.
For the broader Gaganyaan project, which aims to send Indian astronauts to space independently, four test pilots from the Indian Air Force have been selected.
These astronauts are currently undergoing training at Isro's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. They have already completed two out of three semesters of their training program, which included basic spaceflight modules in Russia.
Minister Singh also highlighted the progress in developing training infrastructure, mentioning the realization of independent training simulators and static mockup simulators.
The Gaganyaan project itself is an ambitious endeavor, aiming to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capability. The mission plans to launch a crew of three members
into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission, concluding with a safe return to Earth in Indian waters.
