4 IAF pilots selected as astronaut-designates
ISRO plans to send Indian astronauts for the first time on the moon by 2040, says S Somanath, Chairman
ISRO Chairman S Somanath
Thiruvananthapuram: 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.
Currently, they are undergoing mission-specific training at Astronaut Training Facility (ATF) in Bengaluru. The inaugural manned space mission Gaganyaan involves developing critical technologies, including a human-rated (capable of safely transporting humans) launch vehicle (HLVM3), an Orbital Module comprising a Crew Module (CM) and Service Module (SM), and life support systems.
