Four IAF pilots selected as astronaut-designates for 2024 moon mission

Описание: After the stellar success of its history-making Chandrayan-3 lunar mission, ISRO is going full throttle with its plans to send Indian astronauts for the first time on the moon by 2040, said Chairman S. Somanath.

Four test pilots from the Indian Air Force have been selected as Astronaut-Designates for the mission.

“Looking ahead, ISRO aims to take the next step in space exploration with the Gaganyaan programme, planning to launch a crew of 2 to 3 Indian astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for up to three days before safely returning them to a predefined site in Indian waters,” he divulged in an exclusive article for Manorama Yearbook 2024.

The Crew Module (CM) is a habitable space with an Earth-like environment in space for the crew and is designed for safe re-entry. Safety measures also include a Crew Escape System (CES) for emergencies.

The first development flight of Test Vehicle (TV-D1) was launched on October 21, 2023, and it successfully demonstrated in-flight abort of the Crew Escape System, followed by Crew Module separation and its safe recovery from the Bay of Bengal by the Indian Navy.

“The success of this test flight was crucial for subsequent unmanned missions and the ultimate human space mission, expected to be launched in 2025,” he said.

Elaborating, he said SSLV, a three-stage launch vehicle, can launch 500 kg satellite into 500 km planar orbit, and can accommodate multiple satellites. It has launch-on-demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements and low cost. With two flights in the recent past, SSLV is at the stage of transition from developmental flights to operational flights.

Planned to launch in 2023-2024, XPOSAT is India’s first dedicated science mission which will investigate bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions by using scientific payloads.

Somanath said the Prime Minister has set ambitious goals such as commissioning ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035, and embarking on interplanetary exploration, featuring a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander, to further solidify India's presence on the global space stage.

“India's space programme is poised to reach new heights in the coming years…With every mission launched and every discovery made, ISRO reaffirms its position on the global stage as a force to be reckoned with, instilling national pride and expanding India's technological feat,” he added.

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