India’s Vyommitra, the Woman Robot Astronaut, to Pave the Way for Gaganyaan Mission
In a significant stride towards its ambitious Gaganyaan mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the uncrewed Vyommitra Mission in the third quarter of this year. Vyommitra, a name combining the Sanskrit words for space and friend, is a woman robot astronaut designed to simulate human functions in the challenging environment of space.
Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh revealed that Vyommitra is equipped to monitor module parameters, issue alerts, execute life-support operations, operate six panels, and respond to queries. This innovative creation aims to interact seamlessly with life support systems, marking a crucial step in preparing for India’s first manned space flight, Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2025.
The successful completion of the first test vehicle flight TV D1 in October 2023 validated the crew escape system and parachute system. With the human rating of the launch vehicle completed and all propulsion stages qualified, ISRO is poised for the Gaganyaan project, intending to demonstrate human space capabilities by launching astronauts into a 400 km orbit and safely bringing them back to Earth.
Minister Singh also reassured that the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, which landed near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023, is progressing as expected, with vital inputs to be shared soon. As India advances its space exploration endeavors, Vyommitra stands as a pioneering venture into the future of manned space missions.
