India's first manned space mission: 'Gaganyaan' astronauts likely to be pilots, hints ISRO

The astronauts on the human space mission 'Gaganyaan' will mostly be pilots, hinted Indian Space Research Organisation scientists on Friday.

"We are looking for people with sufficient flying experience," said an ISRO scientist requesting anonymity.

Another scientist said the Defence Research and Development Organisation too will play a major role in this endeavour.

Addressing a press conference here, Sivan said the first unmanned mission for 'Gaganyaan' has been planned for December 2020, the second unmanned mission for July 2021 and the final manned mission by December 2021.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the 'Gaganyaan' project envisaging sending three humans to space by 2022.

The design for the crew module and crew service module for India's Gaganyaan first manned space mission, slated for launch in 2022, are in the finalisation process, a top official of the Indian space agency said.

"We have set up a new centre called Human Space Flight Centre and the work relating to Gaganyaan is being managed from there.

"The design work relating to the proposed manned mission is underway and will be finalised soon," K. Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told IANS.

"The design for crew module (that would carry the Indian astronauts) and crew service module will be finalised soon," Sivan said.

"We are not designing these for the first time. We already have the necessary infrastructure," he added.

The ISRO had already flight tested its crew module and its recovery some years back.

Last year, ISRO tested the crew escape system. The test was over in 259 seconds, during which the crew escape system along with crew module soared skyward, then arced out over the Bay of Bengal and floated back to Earth under its parachutes about 2.9 km from Sriharikota.

The crew module reached an altitude of nearly 2.7 km under the power of its seven specifically designed quick acting solid motors to take away the crew module to a safe distance without exceeding the safe g-levels.