ISRO lays down the road map to realise PM Modi’s promise to send an Indian into space; 3 Astronauts will be in space for 5 to 7 days; Entire project to cost less than Rupees ten thousand crores; Mission to be accomplished in 40 months.
India’s first manned space flight – Gaganyaan – is expected to send three persons into the space for seven days and the spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr Sivan has said that India’s Gaganyaan mission aims to send a three-person crew to space for a period of five-seven days. Dr Sivan added that the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle will be used to launch Gaganyaan from Sri Harikota.
He also said that estimated cost of Gaganyaan mission is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores and it will be very cost effective as compared to other international missions. The mission will be completed in 40 months.
Giving details of the programme at a press conference in New Delhi, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh said GSLV Mk III, the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.
He said two unmanned Gaganyaan missions will be undertaken prior to sending humans.
“The total programme is expected to be completed before 2022 with the first unmanned flight within 30 months. The mission will aim to send a three-person crew to space for a period of seven days. The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km. The programme is expected to cost less than Rs 10,000 crore,” Singh said.
The Gaganyaan mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address. He had said that by 2022 or even before that, some of the young boys and girls will unfurl the Tricolour in space.
Singh said the complex programme will truly be a national endeavour with the participation of ISRO, academia, industry as well as other government and private agencies as stake holders.
“The mission will make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission,” Singh said. To accelerate the programme, ISRO may consider seeking collaborations with space agencies from friendly countries and advanced space programmes, he said.