India to unfurl tricolor in space by 2022; details of Gaganyaan project announced

New Delhi, August 29: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) unveiled India's Gaganyaan programme for manned space flight before 2022 as announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Independence Day.

 

ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said in a press conference the manned mission to space having 3 crew members will be in space for 5-7 days. The ISRO chief said after the takeoff, the manned flight will reach the orbit in 16 minutes.

The crew, while coming back to the Earth, could land in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast or in the Bay of Bengal or even on land, he added. He said the mission may be executed six months before India completes its 75th Independence Day with the help of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

Sivan said the spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.

MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh said the mission is much cheaper in comparison to other man missions sent to space. The crew will be selected by the Indian Air Force and ISRO jointly after which they will undergo training for two to three years.

India will be the fourth country after the USA, Russia, and China to send humans to space.