Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Kerala visit on 27th February, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram and reviewed the progress of ‘Gaganyaan’, India’s human spaceflight mission. During the event, the PM bestowed astronaut wings to the astronaut designates and congratulated them for the project.
The Prime Minister, meanwhile, also inaugurated three important space infrastructure projects worth about Rs 1,800 crore. The three space infra projects include ‘The PSLV integration facility’ at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, ‘A semi-cryogenics integrated engine and stage test facility’ at the ISRO propulsion complex in Mahendragiri, and ‘A trisonic wind tunnel’ at VSSC.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission and bestows astronaut wings to the astronaut designates.
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2024
The Gaganyaan Mission is India's first human space flight program for which extensive preparations are underway at various ISRO centres. pic.twitter.com/KQiodF3Jqy
The four prospective astronauts selected, all either wing commanders or group captains for the Gaganyaan mission are Shubanshu Shukla, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, and Ajit Krishnan. These astronauts were bestowed astronaut wings by PM Modi.
The four astronauts have been training at the space agency’s astronaut training center in Bengaluru. The astronauts were selected from the IAF’s Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
“I am happy that today I got the opportunity to meet these astronauts and present them in front of the country. I want to congratulate them on behalf of the entire country…You are the pride of today’s India,” PM Modi said during his address.
He added, “India’s success in the space sector is sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the country’s young generation.”
The American space agency NASA will also prepare one Indian astronaut for a journey to the International Space Station by the end of 2024, according to the agency’s administrator Bill Nelson, who visited Delhi in 2023.
Gaganyaan mission
The Gaganyaan Mission is India’s current project to send a 3-day manned mission to 400 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a four-person crew and safely return them to Earth. As part of this program, the Indian government has approved two unmanned missions and one human mission.
The Gaganyaan Mission is an ambitious and well-coordinated attempt by ISRO in partnership with other organisations, including numerous research labs, Indian academia, and enterprises, intending to conduct human space flights and space exploration.
The Gaganyaan project’s success is likely to inspire other inexpensive human spaceflight programs to explore the solar system and beyond, as well as sample return missions and other scientific investigations. Gaganyaan’s expected accomplishments will also inspire students to pursue careers in science and technology, particularly in the realm of space science, where they will be challenged to innovate and create.
It will facilitate diplomatic contacts with other spacefaring countries, providing the road for joint missions, knowledge sharing, and international cooperation in space exploration, consequently boosting international relationships.
The Gaganyaan mission holds the potential to drive economic growth by developing space-related companies, technology spin-offs, and job creation, all of which will benefit India as a whole.
The first manned spaceflight is planned to occur in 2025. The Gaganyaan Mission’s accomplishment will place India among the select group of nations capable of human space flight (the United States, Russia, and China).
PM Modi will embark on a two-day trip to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra beginning on 27th February to launch and lay the groundwork for a plethora of development projects totaling more than Rs 24,000 crore across the three states.
