India prepares uncrewed Gaganyaan mission ahead of crewed flight
India is preparing to conduct the first uncrewed orbital mission of the Gaganyaan program in the fourth quarter of this year. The first crewed flight is scheduled for 2027. The country aims to independently deliver astronauts to orbit using its own rocket and spacecraft and become the fourth nation after the United States, Russia and China to have such capabilities.
The program became one of the main topics of the three-day Bengaluru Space Expo in Bengaluru, which brought together Indian and foreign space companies. Channel NewsAsia reports on India’s plans.
Safety of crewed flights
Astronauts selected for Gaganyaan said that the transition from satellite launches and scientific missions to human spaceflight requires a different approach to safety, equipment and training. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla noted that in crewed missions, developers must anticipate actions in the event of system failures.
Air Commodore Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair said that India’s space program has so far focused mainly on satellite launches. According to him, protocols, procedures and training equipment must be improved before human flights.
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Last year, Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station: he was the pilot of the commercial Axiom Mission 4 flight. The Gaganyaan program also provides for international cooperation, including in astronaut training, communications and crew recovery.
Space station and the Moon
India plans to launch the first module of its own space station by 2028 and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. The Chandrayaan-4 mission is tentatively scheduled for 2027: it is intended to collect samples from the Moon and deliver them to Earth.
UK Space Agency representative Tony Forsyth called the Chandrayaan-3 mission evidence of India’s growing capabilities and said that London and New Delhi intend to deepen cooperation in the space sector. Japanese company ispace, which specializes in lunar exploration, is also considering opportunities associated with India’s growing space ambitions.
