Woman Robot Astronaut "Vyommitra" to Fly into Space Ahead of Gaganyaan

'Vyommitra, ' a female robot astronaut, will fly into space ahead of the Gaganyaan mission.

•  Gaganyaan mission India's first human-manned space flight will carry Indian astronauts. 

About "Vyommitra" 

The uncrewed "Vyommitra" mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year, while the manned "Gaganyaan" mission is set for launch next year.

Meaning of "Vyommitra" 

Vyommitra is derived from "Vyoma" (meaning space) and "Mitra" (meaning friend).

Design of "Vyommitra" 

• A female robot astronaut named 'Vyommitra' has been designed to simulate human functions in space and interact with the life support system. 
• It can monitor module parameters, issue alerts, operate six panels, and respond to queries. 
• India's first-ever human astronaut space flight called 'Gaganyaan' is set to launch next year. 
• In preparation, a Test Vehicle Flight TV D1 was completed on October 21, 2023, to qualify the crew escape and parachute systems. 
• The propulsion stages are qualified, and the human rating of the launch vehicle is complete. 
• This year, an unmanned robot flight named 'Vyommitra' will occur. 
• The objectives of the TV-D1 launch included demonstrating and evaluating various subsystems, crew escape systems, and deceleration systems at higher altitudes and their recovery. 
• The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate human space capabilities by launching astronauts into an orbit 400 kilometers from Earth and safely bringing them back to Earth by landing them in India's sea waters.

About Gaganyaan Mission

• India's Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate the country's capabilities for human spaceflight. 
• The project plans to launch a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit and bring them back safely to Earth by landing in the Indian sea waters after a three-day mission. 
• The project will be completed using an optimal strategy that considers the in-house expertise, experience of the Indian industry, intellectual capabilities of Indian academia and research institutions, and cutting-edge technologies available with international agencies.
• Several essential technologies must be developed before the Gaganyaan mission can occur. 
• These include a human-rated launch vehicle that will safely transport the crew into space, a Life Support System that will provide the crew with an Earth-like environment in space, and crew emergency escape provisions. Crew management must consider crew training, recovery, and rehab.
• Several precursor missions are planned before the Human Space Flight mission to ensure safety and reliability. 
• These demonstrator missions include the Integrated AirDrop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV) flights. All systems will be proven in unmanned missions preceding human missions.