Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said Vyommitra, a female spacefaring robot developed by ISRO, will be sent to space as part of the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
The first trial of the spaceflight will be held in October first or second week. Following this, the humanoid robot will be sent to space during the second phase of the mission, which was delayed due to the pandemic.
“After these two phases, astronauts numbering between one and three will be sent as part of the manned mission of the Gaganyaan project. I think this might start by 2024," Singh said.
“Bringing back the astronauts is as important as sending them... If everything goes perfectly, then we can have a go-ahead," he added
Who is Vyommitra?
Vyommitra, which is Sanskrit for Space-friend, was first unveiled in January 2020 at the Human Spaceflight and Exploration symposium in Bengaluru. She is referred to as a half-humanoid robot as she doesn't have legs. However, she can bend forward and sideways.
Besides going on uncrewed Gaganyaan missions, she will accompany astronauts in manned missions too. She can mimic the actions of astronauts as well as respond to them in two languages. She can operate the switch panel, monitor crew module parameters, alert astronauts and conduct life support procedures.
India will become the fourth nation to send humans to space, if Gaganyaan is successful. The US, Russia and China have already proved their capability in manned spaceflight missions.
The latest announcement comes less than a week after Chandrayaan-3 success, with its Vikram lander soft landing on the lunar south pole and its Pragyan rover exploring the lunar surface. ISRO will also launch the first phase of its solar mission, Aditya L1, at the beginning of next month.