ISRO says Gaganyaan Mission will finally take Off in 2023, Following COVID-19 Delay:
HIGHLIGHTS
- Gaganyaan was initially planned to launch in 2022
- It is the first time a human space mission to been launched from Indian soil.
- Gaganyaan was first announced in the year 2018
India is set to launch its long-awaited human spacecraft in 2023, the Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh stated.
The mission, dubbed Gaganyaan, the first space mission by humans to be launched off Indian soil, was initially scheduled for 2022 in August, marking the 75th anniversary of Indian independence. However, the coronavirus pandemic led to the delay of its schedule.
Singh acknowledges the delayed launch but said the preparations are all out to reach the 2023 goal. He said that the successful Gaganyaan mission would create India the fourth nation worldwide to conduct a human-crewed spacecraft.
The minister of the Union informed Rajya Sabha Thursday that all the essential testing missions, including testing that the crew escape mechanism, are expected to be completed by 2022.
The first uncrewed mission is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of the year, and a second uncrewed mission is expected to launch at the end of 2022. This mission is expected to be carrying Vyommitra, the humanoid robot created for ISRO. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Gaganyaan mission in the Independence Day address in 2018.
Singh said that the Gaganyaan mission’s goal is to prove India’s capacity to launch humans into low earth orbit and then return the spacecraft on Earth in safety, as per the announcement by the government.
The minister stated that over 500 companies have been involved with the mission’s launch and that this was made possible by opening up the space industry for private involvement.
Four pilots chosen to be part of the mission are now undergoing the astronaut’s training program in Russia. In addition, an astronaut training center is currently being built in Bengaluru.
India has signed agreements with the Russian and French space agencies to supply specific equipment. Russia has begun giving suit spacesuits, including crew seats and viewports. The supplies provided by CNES and CNES, the French space agency, have also been in place according to the government.
If it is successful, the Gaganyaan mission could catapult India to the top of the line with Russia, China, the US, Russia, and China.
