Four astronauts, who were identified for India's first manned mission, have begun their planned twelve-month training programme at Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Moscow.
Russian launch service provider Glavkosmos said the training programme of Indian candidates for a spaceflight started on Monday.
"This Monday Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) has started the planned training program of Indian candidates for a spaceflight under the contract between Glavkosmos,JSC (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) and the Human Spaceflight Centre of the (ISRO)," Glavkosmos said in a statement on its website.
Glavkosmos, a daughter company of ROSCOSMOS State Space Corporation, aims to promote Russian space industry achievements in the world market. Most part of the training will take place at the GCTC facilities.
The Four Indian Air Force pilots who made it to the final selection became the ISRO candidates for the space mission. Three astronauts will be chosen from among them to be sent onboard Gaganyaan, a crew capsule, which is planned around 2022.
ISRO's Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) will carry Gaganyaan to space to make India the fourth nation to achieve the feat. ISRO is planning to undertake several projects in future once the mission becomes a success.
ISRO will send a lady robot 'Vyomamitra' in the two unmanned missions in December 2020 and June 2021, ahead of the launch of India's maiden human spaceflight venture 'Gaganyaan' in December 2021. ISRO chairman K Sivan said the humanoid will simulate human functions in space and also interact with the environment control life support system. The robot was the centre of attraction at the inaugural session in Bangalore on January 22.
Glavkosmos said the 12-month training programme includes comprehensive and biomedical training of the Indian candidates, which will be combined with regular physical practices.
In addition, they will study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship.
They will be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard the special Il-76MDK aircraft, it said, adding that the Indian pilots will also be trained to act correctly in case of abnormal landing of the manned spaceship descent module in various climate and geographic zones.
Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh had last month said that after training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India.
In that, they will be trained in crew and service module designed by ISRO, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations.
The contract for training the Indian candidates for a spaceflight between Glavkosmos and the Human Spaceflight Centre of ISRO was signed on June 27, 2019.
The document implies the support of Glavkosmos in selection of candidates, their medical examination and various aspects of space training, the statement read.
(With inputs from PTI)
