Four Astronauts for Gaganyaan Mission Announced

Context

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revealed the identities of the four astronauts who will be sent to low-Earth orbit as part of ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission. 
• The announcement follows ISRO’s recent confirmation of the successful testing of the cryogenic engine, which will be utilised in all Gaganyaan missions on the LVM3 vehicles.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Modi revealed the names of the four astronauts who will be part of India’s first crewed space mission, Gaganyaan. 
• The chosen astronauts, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubanshu Shukla, are all experienced test pilots from the Indian Air Force.

Details about Gaganyaan

• The Gaganyaan project attempts to prove beyond doubt that India is capable of going up into space with this crew of 3-member crew for such a 3-day mission and safely bring them back to the Earth.
• It is the component of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme which was started by the Indian Space Research Organization in 2007 with the intention of developing the technology for launching manned spacecraft into low Earth orbit.
• LVM-3 rocket as a choice of the mission is justified by its reliability and capability of performing solid, liquid, and cryogenic stages, which place it into a heavy lift launcher group.
• The roof of the rocket is now designed to adhere to space-flight safety standards for human spaceflight, and now carries the name Human Rated LVM3/HLVM3.

Purpose and Advantages of Gaganyaan mission

• The mission aims to promote innovation and creativity by inspiring students and developing critical technology for future human space exploration. 
• It will create employment opportunities in the private sector and encourage investment in space technologies. 
• The technology developed for the mission can benefit society, and the mission will pave the way for international space collaboration. 
• It will involve collaboration between various agencies, disciplines, industries, and departments, promoting partnership between academia and industry for national development.

Conclusion

• Ensuring precision and excellence in the Gaganyaan mission involves thorough testing of all technologies to prevent any potential issues. 
• ISRO is committed to adopting the best global practices and receiving training from the Russian space agency to ensure the success of the mission. 
• The rigorous training provided to potential astronauts will prepare them for any physical or mental challenges they may face during the mission. 
• While the Gaganyaan mission may not hold significant international importance, its success has the potential to boost morale within the scientific community and pave the way for the development of the space tourism sector in India.

Source: The Indian Express

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Q.India’s first human space mission “Gaganyaan” will be launched in which year?

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