Proud moment for all Indians! IAF Pilots will get training at NASA for mission to Space Station

Indian Air Force pilots are set to receive advanced training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as part of a collaborative effort between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ISRO & NASA
This collaboration follows a recent deal between NASA and ISRO to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2024. This significant move is reported by WION.


Historic Moment
The training at NASA’s premier facility marks a historic moment for India’s space program, occurring four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen to travel to space in 1984.
Aims of the Upcoming Mission
The upcoming mission aims to provide practical experience for Indian astronauts and serves as a crucial step toward India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which seeks to send astronauts into space and safely return them to Earth.

Preparations and Training Progress
While the identities of the Indian astronaut candidates remain undisclosed, they have already completed initial training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia and undergone theoretical and practical sessions at ISRO centers in India.
Gaganyaan Mission
The astronaut candidates are actively involved in assisting ISRO with the design and development of the crew-carrying capsule for the Gaganyaan mission. Dr. S Somanath, chief of ISRO, emphasizes that the collaboration with NASA leverages the changed landscape of US human spaceflight, which now involves private firms carrying out launches to the ISS.
Unmanned Missions and ‘Vyommitra’
In preparation for the Gaganyaan mission, ISRO plans to conduct two unmanned missions in 2024, utilizing a humanoid robot named ‘Vyommitra’ to simulate conditions within the crew-carrying capsule.
Safety and Reliability Tests
ISRO is set to perform various tests, including Crew Escape System trials and helicopter-drop tests, to ensure the safety and reliability of the Gaganyaan mission.
What is International Space Station?
The International Space Station is the largest space station to have ever been built. The station resides in low Earth orbit and has a primary purpose of performing microgravity and space environment experiments.


