Indian candidates start training for Gaganyaan in Russia

Four Indian fighter pilots selected for the Gaganyaan mission have started their 12-month training in Russia. Gaganyaan is India's first unmanned space mission which is planned around 2022.

Here's a sneak peak at India's first space crew training in Russia: 
 

 

The four test pilots which were picked after thorough screening are being trained at Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center under a planed training program.

Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) has started the planned training program of Indian candidates for a spaceflight under the contract between Glavkosmos, JSC (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) and the Human Spaceflight Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The 12-month training program includes comprehensive and biomedical training of the Indian candidates, which will be combined with regular physical practices.

In addition, they will study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship, as well as they will be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard the special Il-76MDK aircraft.

Image courtesy: Twitter handle @RusEmbIndia)

The Indian pilots will also be trained to act correctly in case of abnormal landing of the manned spaceship descent module in various climate and geographic zones.

Majority of the training will take place at the GCTC facilities.

The contract for training of the Indian candidates for a spaceflight between Gavkosmos and the Human Spaceflight Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation was signed on June 27, 2019.

In photo: Gaganyaan space suit (L) and space capsule (R) intended to be used for the mission.