India to Send First Astronaut to ‘International Space Station’ Soon: Dr Jitendra Singh

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th July. India is gearing up to send its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). Union Minister Jitendra Singh revealed this significant development in the Lok Sabha. He stated that an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be embarking on a journey to the ISS.

This mission is a collaborative effort between ISRO, NASA, and a private company, Axiom Space.

ISRO has signed an agreement with Axiom Space for this mission, which is expected to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in August 2024.

An ISRO official mentioned that NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. The launch is unlikely to happen before August 2024 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The astronaut selected for this international space mission will be one of the four Indian Air Force pilots being trained for the Gaganyaan mission. These pilots were chosen by an ISRO board and have undergone basic space travel training in Russia. Currently, they are undergoing further training at ISRO’s astronaut training center in Bengaluru.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also mentioned that two out of the three semesters of the Gaganyaan training program have been completed. The necessary simulators and static mock-ups for training are ready, and parts of the rocket that will carry humans to space are also prepared. This information was provided in response to a question posed by TMC MP Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha.

The Gaganyaan project is an ambitious mission by ISRO. It aims to send three astronauts to a 400-kilometer orbit for three days and return them safely to Earth. This mission is expected to be launched in 2025. It holds great significance for India, marking its entry into the elite group of nations capable of sending humans to space. This will further strengthen India’s position in the field of space science.