The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will send two initial missions towards the end of the year under its first human space-flight mission 'Gaganyaan'. In the year 2024, a human of Indian origin will go to space. This information was given by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday (February 21). He told that in the second part of the initial mission to be sent by the end of this year, a female robot 'Vyommitra' will be sent.
Minister Jitendra Singh told news agency PTI that under the Gaganyaan programme, it was envisaged to send it in the 75th year of independence, but much had gone awry during the Kovid period. Many programs went back two-three years.
The Union Minister said that during Covid, the training of our astronauts was going on in Russia, but that too had to be stopped midway. Singh told that when the outbreak of Covid subsided a bit, then he was again sent to Russia to complete the training.
The Union Minister said that two initial missions will be sent under the Gaganyaan program by the end of this year. In this, one mission will be completely unmanned and in the second mission a female robot named 'Vyommitra' will be sent. These two missions will complete the entire process.
The Union Minister further said that the purpose of these initial missions is to ensure that the Gaganyaan rocket returns safely along the route it took. The minister said that after this, in the next year 2024, a human of Indian origin will be sent to space.
Jitendra Singh said that though Rakesh Sharma as a person of Indian origin had gone to space before, but that mission was of Soviet Russia, while the Gaganyaan mission will be Indian and those who make it will also be Indian.
The Union Minister told that the Gaganyaan mission will be the best example of self-reliant India. This will prove to be a milestone in the history of India's space travel. When asked about Aditya L1, a mission to study the Sun, Jitendra Singh said that preparations are going on fast.
The Union Minister said that India's journey in the space sector started late and when we envisioned moving forward in the space sector, the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union were preparing to land a man on the moon.
Singh said that three-four years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to open the space sector for private public partnership, moving away from the old methods and it has also yielded very good results. He said that today our country's research has become at the level of America and Russia.