First phase of payload selection for Gaganyaan done: ISRO chairman K Sivan

BENGALURU: Indian space agency said the first phase of payload selection for human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan has been completed.

"The opportunity for microgravity experiments have been announced and the first phase of payload selection has been selected (for Gaganyaan)," said K Sivan, chairman, Indian space research organisation (ISRO).

He was speaking at the Symposium on Human Spaceflight and Exploration here.


Sivan also said the the generic spaceflight training will commence in India shortly and that would be followed by the mission specific training using simulators.

The selected astronauts, who are Indian Air Force test pilots, for the Gaganyaan mission would start training in Russia end of this month.

Isro also said a full fledged astronaut training centre would be set up near Bengaluru for all future human spaceflight missions.

Sivan pointed out that the Gaganyaan mission is not just about sending humans to space but an opportunity for long term international collaboration and cooperation.

He said this mission could result in immense benefits in the field of science and technology.

Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability to low earth orbit for a duration ranging from one orbital period to a maximum of seven days.

The mission is expected to cost Rs. 10,000 crore.

Isro plans to send a humanoid in the first of the two unmanned missions to space later this year using its most powerful rocket - Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII. The rocket will be human rated - fine tuned to be safe with zero or minimum errors so that it can carry crew capsule on board.