India is gearing up for its most ambitious space mission yet: sending four astronauts to orbit the Earth for three days in 2025. The Gaganyaan mission, which means “Skycraft” in Sanskrit, will mark India’s first crewed space flight and a major milestone for its space program.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of the four astronaut-designates who have been selected for the historic mission. They are Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. All of them are pilots from the Indian Air Force who have undergone rigorous training in India and Russia.
Modi presented them with “astronaut wings” at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where he also reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan project. He praised the astronauts as “India’s pride” and “four powers who will carry the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians into space.”
“They are not just four names or individuals; they are four’shakti’ [the Hindu goddess of power] carrying the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians into space,” Modi said. “All of you are opening new doors of future possibilities.”
The Gaganyaan mission is being spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has been developing various critical technologies for the human space flight program. These include a human-rated launch vehicle, a life support system, a crew escape system, and a crew module.
The mission will cost about $1.08 billion, according to ISRO, and will launch the astronauts into a low Earth orbit of 400 km using the GSLV Mk III rocket, which is India’s most powerful launcher. The crew module will provide an Earth-like environment for the astronauts and will be equipped with various scientific instruments and experiments. After completing the three-day mission, the module will re-enter the atmosphere and splash down in the Indian Ocean, where it will be recovered by a naval ship.
The Gaganyaan mission is part of India’s vision to become a leading space-faring nation and to harness the benefits of space for its socio-economic development. Modi has previously announced plans to launch a space station by 2034 and to send humans to the moon by 2040.
India has already achieved several feats in space exploration, such as becoming the fourth country to land a probe on the moon in 2019, launching its first solar mission in 2020, and sending a spacecraft to Mars in 2014. India has also built a large constellation of remote sensing and communication satellites and operates its own satellite navigation systems.
India’s space program is known for its cost-effectiveness and innovation, as it relies on indigenous technologies and a pool of highly skilled engineers. ISRO has also collaborated with various international agencies and countries for its space missions, such as NASA, ESA, Russia, France, and Japan.
The Gaganyaan mission will not only showcase India’s technological prowess and scientific potential but also inspire millions of young Indians to pursue their dreams in space. As Modi said, “The countdown of the rocket inspires thousands of children in India, and those making paper planes today dream of becoming scientists like you.”.
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