Following The US, India Will Take Its Citizens Into Space In Q4 2024

JAKARTA - India will carry its citizens on the Gaganyaan-1 (H1) space flight mission scheduled for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2024. Making it equal to other countries that have brought humans into space, such as the United States (US).

Indian State Secretary of State United Jitendra Singh said the astronauts appointed for the space flight had been designated and were currently undergoing special training for their mission in Bengaluru.

Given the importance of crew safety, Singh said two test vehicle missions would be planned in advance by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), prior to Gaganyaan-1's mission to demonstrate the performance of the crew system and the parachute-based deeleration system for different flight conditions.

The two missions, the G1 unmanned mission, are targeted to be launched in Q4 2023 with humanoids as payloads. The mission will test orbital module propulsion systems, mission management, communication systems, recovery operations, and crew escape systems. Parasuts will also be provided during training.

Then, followed by the second unmanned G2 mission in Q2 in 2024, before the last human space flight H1 in Q4 2024.

Singh said that currently the astronaut training was in place, they had undergone a course module on the basics of theory, space medicine, launch vehicles, spacecraft systems, and ground support infrastructure. However, he did not mention who the astronauts would be filling the three available seats.

Earlier in November this year, ISRO conducted an Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT) from its moduli crew deselerated system.

The test was carried out at the Babina Field Fire Range (BFFR) in the Jhansi Uttar Pradesh district where the mock mass weighing 5 tons, equivalent to the Kru module mass, was taken to an altitude of 2.5 kilometers and dropped using the Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft.

Launching India Today, Friday, December 23, the trial simulated a unique situation when one of the main parachutes failed to open. Experts have indicated the mission is likely to face a two-year delay.

This is because ISRO is focusing on improving the system that will launch and land Indians on a mission into space. Gaganyaan was originally planned to launch in 2022 to mark India's 75-year independence. However, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and consecutive lockdowns.