Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Chairman S Somanath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday reveal the names of the four Indian astronauts chosen to go to space as part of the Gaganyaan mission, the nation’s first human spaceflight mission.
The Gaganyaan project, slated for launch in 2025, aims to demonstrate Isro’s capability to send humans into space and return them safely to Earth, landing in Indian territorial waters.
This mission is not just a technological leap, but also a testament to India’s growing prowess in space exploration.
The Prime Minister today made this announcement during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram.
In a post on X, Narendra Modi wrote, “In Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow, I will be at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, where 3 key projects relating to the space sector will be inaugurated. These projects will ensure better technical facilities for the sector. I will also review the progress in the Gaganyaan Mission.”
Who are the astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission?
PM Modi met astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan Mission – Group Captain P Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander S Shukla – at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
All four are undergoing training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. They will be at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (February 27) where PM Modi will introduce them to the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very anticipated to reveal the names of four test pilots selected for India’s inaugural human spaceflight mission, ‘Gaganyaan’, during his visit to the VSSC.
As reported by citing sources, “One of the four pilots chosen for the Gaganyaan mission will also be selected for the International Space Station (ISS) mission, which was agreed upon between ISRO and NASA during the Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States of America.
How the four astronauts were selected?
Of the many test pilots nominated to become astronauts, 12 cleared the first level of selection in September 2019 in Bengaluru, The selection was done by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an institute under the Indian Air Force.
After several rounds of selection, IAM and ISRO shortlisted the final four.
In early 2020, ISRO sent all four to Russia for initial training, which was completed in 2021 after some delays due to COVID-19.
Projects being launched by PM
As per an official release by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), “The projects include the PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota; new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri; and ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.”
‘Cryogenic engine’ successful in testing for Gaganyaan mission
This visit of PM Modi comes shortly after ISRO had informed on February 21 that the ‘CE-20 cryogenic engine’ has proved successful in the final tests for the Gaganyaan mission carrying astronauts.
The cryogenic engine powers the ‘cryogenic stage’ of the LVM launch vehicle for the Gaganyaan manned space mission.
ISRO also said that all ground tests of the CE20 engine for the Gaganyaan mission have been successfully completed.
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