India's Gaganyaan program, aiming to launch its first crewed mission by early 2027, is drawing valuable lessons from the International Space Station (ISS). The experience gained by Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during his recent trip to the ISS is expected to significantly contribute to refining India's human spaceflight mission.
The four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan – Group Captains Shukla, Prasanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap – have already undergone extensive training in both Russia and India. However, none of them had prior first-hand experience in space. Shukla's mission to the ISS provided him with a unique opportunity to experience life in an orbital station, which is invaluable for the Gaganyaan program.
During his 14-day mission on the ISS, Shukla is conducting seven India-led experiments, focusing on areas such as seeds, algae, and human physiology in microgravity. He is also involved in five experiments in collaboration with NASA. Furthermore, he is gaining familiarity with the various crew systems aboard the ISS, acquiring crucial knowledge about the station's operations at an altitude of 400km above Earth.
Upon his return, Shukla will share his experiences and insights with the other Gaganyaan astronaut-designates. While the final crew selection for the Gaganyaan mission is still pending, Shukla, with his newfound experience, is considered a strong contender.
Space Minister Jitendra Singh has emphasized the significance of Shukla's experiments in advancing space nutrition and developing self-sustaining life support systems for long-duration missions. One notable study involves examining how space radiation affects edible microalgae, a promising food source for astronauts. Another experiment focuses on cyanobacteria like Spirulina and Synechococcus in microgravity, assessing their growth using nitrogen sources, including urea from human waste, to support recycling-based life systems. These experiments utilize indigenously developed biotech kits designed specifically for microgravity conditions, fostering the growth of a space biology ecosystem in India.
Beyond the scientific experiments, Shukla's mission offers critical operational experience, encompassing pre-launch quarantine, international collaboration, entry and exit procedures, medical diagnostics, and health readiness protocols. This practical experience will aid ISRO in preparing astronauts and ground teams for the intricacies of manned spaceflight.
India's Gaganyaan mission is a significant step towards joining the exclusive group of nations – the Soviet Union (now Russia), the United States, and China – that have independently sent humans into space. The mission aims to send a three-member crew into low-Earth orbit for several days before safely returning them to Earth.
The Gaganyaan program has faced some delays, with the crewed mission now scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. These delays have been attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the extensive testing required for astronaut training, additional test flights of the launch vehicle, and a revamped program that includes eight missions, both crewed and uncrewed, until 2028. The first uncrewed test flight is expected to take place later this year. Intensive crew training is set to resume in 2026, a year before the anticipated launch.
Shukla's Axiom mission is expected to play a crucial role in supporting ISRO's ambitious human spaceflight plans, including the Gaganyaan mission by 2027 and the launch of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035. The mission also signifies India's growing engagement with public-private international partnerships in space.
India's space program has achieved significant milestones, including placing an orbiter around Mars and successfully landing a robotic spacecraft near the lunar south pole. The Gaganyaan mission will further enhance India's standing in space exploration and mark the beginning of a new era in the country's space endeavors.
