New crown epidemic: blame me?
India's Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendran Singh recently said that India's first manned space launch mission "Gaganyan" will be postponed to 2024.
The Indian Space Research Organization plans to launch the uncrewed Gaganyan mission next year. Image source: Indian Space Research Organization
The launch mission was originally scheduled to start this year. Singh said the mission was delayed due to the impact of the new crown epidemic on the training of astronauts in India and Russia.
According to local media reports, India will first conduct two unmanned flight tests, the second of which will carry a robot modeled after the image of a human female, which may be scheduled for next year.
In 2024, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a spacecraft carrying at least two astronauts into low-Earth orbit after evaluating the results of two test flights.
The Indian Air Force has identified four fighter pilots as potential crew members for the manned spaceflight mission. They received basic training in Russia.
ISRO said that in the long run, "Gaganyan" will lay the foundation for India's continued human space exploration. Having a vibrant human spaceflight program can be a powerful foreign policy tool, and the Gaganyan project will strengthen international partnerships and global security, local media said.
Currently, only three countries, the United States, Russia and China, have independent manned spaceflight capabilities.
According to India-Asia News Agency, after the successful completion of the "Gaganyan" project, India's next step will focus on realizing the ability of human beings to persist in space. In addition, ISRO plans to launch the Chandrayaan-3 probe in 2023. Similar to Gaganyan, the launch of Chandrayaan-3 has also been delayed. The mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2021, then was postponed to 2022, and then postponed again. Produced by
Written by Shenhai Studio
Written by Wang Jiaye
Edited by Shenhaibei
