Indian startup helps train global astronauts

Amid all the buzz surrounding human space programmes around the world, an Indian startup that has been quietly supporting international astronauts training for International Space Station (ISS) missions is now looking to promote space tourism jointly with a state-run Russian space organisation. It has also offered to partner with Isro for Gaganyaan training.

With offices in Bengaluru and Chennai, Valles Marineris International — named after the canyon system on Mars — has supported its Russian partner Aviakom to supply simulators used for astronaut training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Moscow.

The simulator has already been used to train astronauts from the US, Japan, UAE among others. Japanese astronaut Sôichi Noguchi, who was part of SpaceX Crew-1 is among them.


“We’ve been working since 2016. Astronaut training involves many simulators and the Aviakom simulator, whose design and development we supported, is also used to train astronauts from different countries in Russia. We are now in the process of readying another simulator for the upgraded version of the Soyuz Spacecraft,” Jayakumar Venkatesan, CEO, Valles Marineris, told TOI.

The Soyuz flight simulator, the firms said, is designed to simulate flight into space, visit low-earth orbit, fly around the International Space Station and even dock to it!

“One will be able to see the launch pad of Baikonur cosmodrome, feel dynamics of flight, vibrations of launch vehicle and Soyuz spacecraft, hear its noises, look into the ship's windows and admire our beautiful planet and starry sky from Earth orbit,” according to Valles Marineris.

Edu Simulators & Space Tourism

Venkatesan added that apart from professional training simulators, the firm also provides simulators for amateurs for educational purposes.

“We are hosting international Mars/Moon analog astronaut missions with Analog Astronaut Training Center (AATC) in Poland and planning to establish AATC in India and Chile,” he said.

And, as recently as last week, the company finalised an agreement of cooperation with Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russian space organisationDesi cRoscosmos, for partnering in the promotion of space tourism.

“The memorandum on co-operation for Earth observation services, space educational programmes, human spaceflight research activities, space tourism and commercial space operations was signed with Glavkosmos on February 10. If everything works as planned the space tourism part should kick off by 2023,” Venkatesan said.

Gagnayaan Simulators

Further, Valles Marineris has responded to the expression of interest floated by Isro for setting up simulators for Gaganyaan astronauts.

The TOI was the first to report that Isro will be building simulators at a URSAC facility in Bengaluru to train Indian astronaut-elects for the first human space mission after their return from Russia. The four Indian astronaut-elects are in the last phase of training at GCTC in Moscow as per an agreement with Glavkosmos.

“Given our experience, we think we have the expertise to meet Isro’s requirements, but it is for the agency to decide. We are awaiting a response,” Venkatesan said.