RIVANSHI RAKHRAI
Vyommitra, India's Female Robot Astronaut, Precedes Gaganyaan Mission
On Sunday, India's Union Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, unveiled plans for Vyommitra, an unmanned female robot astronaut set to lead the way for the Gaganyaan mission, marking India's inaugural venture into manned space exploration
Named from Sanskrit words 'Vyoma' (space) and 'Mitra' (friend), Vyommitra epitomizes its role as a companion in the realm of space exploration
Endowed with monitoring prowess, alert issuance, and life support operation execution, Vyommitra boasts the ability to manage module parameters, operate panels, and provide responses to inquiries
Crafted to emulate human functions in space, Vyommitra engages with life support systems, enhancing adaptability and overall functionality
The Vyommitra Mission is slated for the third quarter of this year, paving the way for the manned Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2025
Building on past successes, ISRO launched the Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 last year to validate crew escape and parachute systems. Preparations are actively underway for India's inaugural manned space flight
The indigenous development of the crew escape system, imperative for astronaut safety, serves as a crucial safeguard against potential catastrophic errors during spaceflight. This system is a vital component of the Gaganyaan project, which aims to orbit three astronauts around Earth for a three-day mission