Why is it in the News?

The Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, announced on Wednesday that India is set to launch Vyommitra, a female robot astronaut, into space as part of the ambitious Gaganyaan project.

What is Vyommitra?

• Vyommitra is an AI-enabled female robot.
• It was introduced at the inaugural session of the "Human Spaceflight and Exploration — Present Challenges and Future Trends" event in January 2020.
• The name is a combination of two Sanskrit words: Vyoma (Space) and Mitra (Friend), and it was created for the unmanned Gaganyaan mission.
  • Because she lacks legs, she is described as a half-humanoid robot.
  • She may, however, bend to the sides and forward. 
• The ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) designed, developed, and integrated the robot.
  • At the same time, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a sister Isro facility based in Thumba, built its fingers.
• This robot is designed to ride aboard a rocket and survive stress and vibrations while in flight.
  • With the ability to speak, see, and make facial expressions, it has been created to resemble a human.
• Vyommitra will also acquire a digital twin.
  • The twin would be built through collaboration with academic institutions such as the IITs.
• Vyommitra will accompany astronauts on manned missions in addition to the unmanned Gaganyaan mission.
• Vyommitra's mission is to perform specific tasks in order to analyse how astronauts might behave.
  • She will mimic every action that astronauts are required to take and respond to them in two languages.
• She will monitor via module parameters, alert, carry out life support procedures, carry out tasks like operating switch panels, and imitate other human actions in space throughout the uncrewed flight.

What is the Gaganyaan mission?

• Named after the Sanskrit word for craft or vehicle to the sky, the Gaganyaan project has been developed at the cost of ?90 billion.
  • If it succeeds, India will become only the fourth country to send a human into space after the Soviet Union, the US, and China.
• Under the Gaganyaan Mission, ISRO will be sending three humans to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bring them back safely to Earth.
• Launch Vehicle: GSLV Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.
• Training Collaboration with Russia: In June 2019, ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre partnered with Russia's Glavkosmos, a government-owned entity, under a contract encompassing comprehensive astronaut training.
  • However, four astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan have been undergoing mission-specific training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.