New Delhi: Vyommitra, India’s female robot astronaut, is set to venture into space preceding the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious Gaganyaan mission, marking India’s maiden manned space journey with indigenous astronauts.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh revealed that the uncrewed Vyommitra Mission is slated for the third quarter of this year, while the Gaganyaan manned mission is scheduled for launch in 2025.
The name Vyommitra, it is a fusion of two Sanskrit words – vyoma which means space, and mitra, meaning friend.
According to the Union Minister, Vyommitra has the capability to monitor module parameters, issue alerts, and execute life-support operations. Additionally, it can perform tasks such as operating six panels and responding to queries, designed to emulate human functions in the space environment and interact with the life support system.
Preceding the Gaganyaan launch, the first test vehicle flight TV D1 was successfully conducted on October 21, 2023, to qualify the crew escape system and parachute system. The launch vehicle has been human-rated, all propulsion stages are qualified, and preparations are in place.
The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate human space capabilities by sending a crew of astronauts into a 400 km orbit and safely returning them to Earth.
Minister Singh provided an update on the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, which landed near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. He assured that the mission is progressing as anticipated, and crucial data from it will be shared soon.
