4 Indian astronauts train in Russia for Gaganyaan project
Four Indian astronauts are undergoing training, for the Gaganyaan project, at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. The training is under the contract between Glavkosmos, JSC and the Human Spaceflight Centre of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The ISRO in its earlier statements had said that Gaganyaan program would be launching an astronaut before India’s 75th anniversary of independence. And accordingly, the first unmanned mission was planned in December 2020, and the second unmanned mission in June 2021. ISRO has indicated that there would be delays in several missions as the space body’s work has been hit by disruptions due to the pandemic. The major projects that have been impacted are Chandrayaan-3, which was scheduled for the moon later this year, and Gaganyaan. Initially, training for Indian astronauts in Russia had to be stopped due to COVID-19. But now, it has resumed and the launched is scheduled to take place as planned.
According to Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, the four Indian astronauts are in good health and are determined to continue their training. Their 12-month training began on 10 February 2020. The astronauts are undergoing a comprehensive and biomedical training, which includes regular physical tests and exercises. They will undertake detailed study of the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship and be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard Roscosmos’ special Il-76MDK aircraft. The astronauts, as per Space.com, have completed a variety of simulations mimicking different ways astronauts can return to Earth, including landing on the steppes, in wooded or marshy areas as well as splashing down in bodies of water. They are yet to undergo training of centrifuge simulations of G-forces and stints in a pressure chamber. This will teach their bodies what to expect from spaceflight.
Russia and India signed the contract for the training of the astronauts in June 2019. ISRO said the first crewed Gaganyaan mission will carry up to three astronauts on a seven-day mission.
