Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath has said that ‘Gaganyaan’, the country’s first human space flight programme, is expected to be launched by the end of 2025.

The nation will have a space station by the year 2035. The ISRO is already working on Chandrayaan-4 to retrieve samples from the moon, he said after receiving the Sree Sankara Award instituted by the Adi Sankara Trust at a programme held at Sree Sarada Vidyalaya, Kalady, on Saturday.

Adi Sankara Trust managing trustee K. Anand presented the award, comprising ₹1 lakh, citation, and a memento, to Mr. Somanath. The ISRO chief handed over the money for the welfare programmes of the trust, according to a release.

He also inaugurated the Sarada Progressive Advanced Research Collaboration at Sree Sarada Vidyalaya on the occasion.

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its Gaganyaan mission, the space agency chief S. Somanath said. File
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its much-awaited human space flight programme Gaganyaan mission and it is possible to send them in the future, the space agency chief S. Somanath said on Sunday.

He also said ISRO would send a female humanoid – a robot that resembles a human – in its unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft next year. The ambitious mission aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km for three days and bring them safely back to the Earth.

“No doubt about it…but we have to find out such possible (women) candidates in the future,” Somanath told PTI over phone in response to a query.

Also read: Gaganyaan: The mission to send Indians to space is on track 

His statement came a day after the ISRO successfully launched its TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan.

He said the manned mission is expected by 2025 and that it will be a short duration mission.

“Right now, the initial candidates are to be from Air Force fighter test pilots…they are a bit different category. Right now, we are not having women fighter test pilots. So, once they come, that is one route,” the Chairman said.

The second option was when there would be more scientific activity, he said.

“Then, scientists will come as astronauts. So, at that time, I believe that more possibilities for women are there. Currently, possibilities are lesser because there are no women fighter test pilots,” Mr. Somanath explained.

To a question, he said the ISRO’s target is to put a fully operational space station by 2035.

ISRO had successfully launched TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan on Saturday.

After overcoming initial hiccups including delays, the space agency successfully launched the test vehicle with payloads related to the country’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme.

Scientists simulated an abort situation for the Crew Escape System to carry the Crew Module of the test vehicle out as they made a splash into the Bay of Bengal with planned precision.

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its Gaganyaan mission, the space agency chief S. Somanath said. File
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its much-awaited human space flight programme Gaganyaan mission and it is possible to send them in the future, the space agency chief S. Somanath said on Sunday.

He also said ISRO would send a female humanoid – a robot that resembles a human – in its unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft next year. The ambitious mission aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km for three days and bring them safely back to the Earth.

“No doubt about it…but we have to find out such possible (women) candidates in the future,” Somanath told PTI over phone in response to a query.

Also read:Gaganyaan: The mission to send Indians to space is on track 

His statement came a day after the ISRO successfully launched its TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan.

He said the manned mission is expected by 2025 and that it will be a short duration mission.

“Right now, the initial candidates are to be from Air Force fighter test pilots…they are a bit different category. Right now, we are not having women fighter test pilots. So, once they come, that is one route,” the Chairman said.

The second option was when there would be more scientific activity, he said.

“Then, scientists will come as astronauts. So, at that time, I believe that more possibilities for women are there. Currently, possibilities are lesser because there are no women fighter test pilots,” Mr. Somanath explained.

To a question, he said the ISRO’s target is to put a fully operational space station by 2035.

ISRO had successfully launched TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan on Saturday.

After overcoming initial hiccups including delays, the space agency successfully launched the test vehicle with payloads related to the country’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme.

Scientists simulated an abort situation for the Crew Escape System to carry the Crew Module of the test vehicle out as they made a splash into the Bay of Bengal with planned precision.

Midhani Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jha inspecting company products, on September 8, 2023..
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (Midhani), the defence public sector unit specialising in making special steels and alloys for the strategic sector, is ready for the Gaganyaan Mission after playing a successful role in the Chandrayaan Mission in supplying vital materials for making the launch vehicle, engine, motors, lander and the rover on the Moon.

It has already transferred the entire Gaganyaan project sets of materials for making rockets, engines, crew modules and others sufficient for “five launches”, though the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning three with the last one likely to take the humans into space, disclosed chairman and managing director S.K. Jha.

In an exclusive interaction, the top official said all the special metals and alloys that goes into the making of various systems have been delivered as the space agency will be making many trials before sending the rockets into the space under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

“For Gaganyaan Mission, we have to be very careful as it calls for highest standard of purity of raw materials, during processing and after processing, we have witnesses stringent quality controls. To achieve that kind of performance we have to take precautions from the beginning. It is a big challenge. In every stage, ISRO has sought 20% extra,” said Dr. Jha.

With common production facilities for many projects, the challenge was in separating the work from others in the production. “Our engineers, quality control and process engineers have been specially counselled about being alert all the time and ISRO chairman S. Somanath himself had come down for a session to talk about following the protocols”, he said.

Midhani had “done lot of technological advancements” for taking up tasks in a mission mode and with less turnaround time. “We test for fractures in our lab and stress tests are done at very high and low temperatures to demonstrate the properties. We check our material minutely at every step as we cannot cannot afford to fail up in space. ISRO will also do its parallel tests at its facility,” he explained.

The CMD was especially excited about Chandrayaan’s success. “GSLV-LVM rocket is a very high powered one with ISRO. The liquid engine firing from the bottom has lot of components going from us – nickel, titanium alloys. We had supplied these earlier too, but this latest one has gone for the farthest distance. What more testimony is needed about our work quality?,” he chuckles.

Titanium alloys were used in both the lander and the rover on the moon and the material is expected to withstand the harsh weather of very high temperatures and extreme cold. Indigenously developed ultra high strength ‘maraging’ steel – alloy of iron, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, titanium and aluminium was also used.

“Design and specifications are given by ISRO and their scientists are present throughout to do a double check ,” he reveals. Once an order is issued, Midhani is now capable of making materials enough for 10 launches a year from one launch for two months. “In fact, every three months we can give material for three to four launches including all sets – rings, plates, wires, etc. ISRO inventory position is good now,” added Dr. Jha.