India wants to take a firm place among the spacefaring nations. After the probes to the moon and the sun, a manned space flight is now to follow. The four astronauts for the mission have already been determined.
India wants to become the fourth nation in manned space travel after the USA, Russia and China. For this reason, the country has introduced four Indian Air Force officers to take part in a manned space flight – their names are Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla.
Last year there was a lunar module landing, followed by a space probe heading towards the sun. Even after the manned space flight next year, the ambitious Indian space program will not be over. The country also wants to send a probe to Venus. The first Indian space station is expected to exist in 2035 and the first Indian man or woman is expected to land on the moon by 2040.
What are Indian astronauts called?
Where the Americans say astronaut, the Russians say cosmonaut and the Chinese say taikonaut. In earlier times, the terms Vyomanaut or Gagannaut were discussed in India – Vyom and Gagan, both meaning heaven, once in the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and once in modern Hindi. But for now the four astronauts are still called “astronauts”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said when introducing four men who are the pride of today’s India:
It’s not just four names or individuals, it’s four “Shakti,” divine forces, that will carry the aspirations of 1.4 billion into space. 40 years after the first Indian, they are now flying into space. Now this moment, the countdown, the rocket is ours.
Yoga is an integral part of Space training
“Gagan-Nyaan” is the name of the space mission, which can simply be translated as “spacecraft”. An Indian has already been to space, Rakesh Sharma. That was in 1984 as part of the Russian Soyuz T-11 mission. Cooperation with Russia in space matters continues to this day. The future astronauts were trained in Russia – at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow.
But there wouldn’t be Indian astronauts if there wasn’t something specifically Indian that was part of the preparation. There was a special yoga module in space training. Equipped in this way, the four are expected to launch into space next year and then orbit the earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers for three days. A few tests are planned beforehand – including with the robot Vymmitra. This is Sanskrit and means “space friend”.
Peter Hornung, ARD New Delhi, tagesschau, February 28, 2024 9:29 a.m