Four Air Force pilots from India have been selected to take part in the nation’s first-ever space journey, which is expected to take place next year.

The goal of the Gaganyaan mission is to launch three astronauts into a 400 km orbit and return them in three days.

In order to get ready for the journey, India’s space agency, Isro, has been conducting a variety of experiments.

A crucial test conducted in October showed that, in the event of a mishap, the crew could safely exit the rocket.

Following its triumph, Isro announced that a test flight aimed at launching a robot into orbit in 2024 will precede the launch of humans into space in 2025.

During an event held on Tuesday at the Isro center located in Thiruvananthapuram, which was once known as Trivandrum in the south, the four individuals who were designated as astronauts were referred to as “dreamers, adventurers, and valiant men preparing to go into space”.

Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla were identified as the officers, who were selected from the Indian Air Force.

Mr. Modi referred to the badges with golden wings as “India’s pride” as he and Isro chief S Somanath fastened them to their shirts.

“These are not just four names or four people. They are four powers who will carry the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians to space. I congratulate and wish them all the best,” he said.

According to officials, the individuals were chosen from a group of Air Force pilots and went through a rigorous physical and psychological evaluation process prior to being shortlisted.

After completing a demanding 13-month training program in Russia, they are returning home to resume their demanding schedule. They were shown exercising in the gym, swimming, and practicing yoga in a video that was played during the occasion.

The female humanoid named Vyommitra, whose name means “space friend” in Sanskrit, was also teased by Isro on Tuesday. She is scheduled to be launched into space later this year.

India’s first human space flight program, the Gaganyaan Mission, is currently undergoing intensive planning at several Isro centers.

The Gaganyaan project, so named after the Sanskrit term for craft or conveyance to the sky, was created at a cost of 90 billion rupees ($1 billion; £897 million).

After the US, China, and the Soviet Union, India would only be the fourth nation to launch a person into space if it is successful.

Even though Gaganyaan came out decades after the US and the Soviet Union began sending astronauts into low Earth orbit, it has attracted a lot of interest in India. Since 1961, both have been in space. In October 2003, a 21-hour mission from China made history by becoming the third nation to reach space and complete 14 orbits around the planet. In low Earth orbit, the US and China both operate fully functional space stations.

Rakesh Sharma, an Indian astronaut, traveled to space in 1984 and stayed on a Russian spacecraft for about eight days.

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India conducted significant space travels last year. In August 2023, the nation created history by being the first to set foot close to the Moon’s south pole.

A few weeks later, scientists launched Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observation mission, which is currently in orbit and monitoring the most significant and dynamic star in our solar system.

India also revealed its aspirational new space ambitions, stating that it would like to launch an astronaut to the moon by 2040 and establish a space station by 2035.

Topics #Astronauts for Gaganyaan #First Space Mission #India