Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, head of the elite Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.
The Gaganyaan manned human space flight mission will launch "Indian astronauts into space from Indian soil on an India-made rocket", Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, the head of the elite Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, told NDTV in a special interview this week.
Expected to cost Rs 9,000 crore, Gaganyaan is a "national mission" that will send four specially chosen and trained male test pilots from the Indian Air Force into space, Dr Nair said.
In the first flight only one, or two, astronauts could fly, and a final decision on this has yet to be made.
Expected to cost Rs 9,000 crore, is a "national mission" that will send four specially chosen and trained male test pilots from the Indian Air Force into space, Dr Nair said.
In an exclusive tour of the country's main rocket lab, an ultra-secure facility, NDTV was given glimpses of the crew module - in which one or two of the four pilot-astronauts will travel, the service module - which will be attached to the former, and the space suits the pilot-astronauts will wear.
The crew module simulator - in which astronaut-designates are currently being trained - and can accommodate two astronauts was also shown.
The crew module, Dr Nair said, is a little over 10 feet in diameter and is configured for three people, but this can be adjusted depending on mission requirements. The space suits were purchased from the Russians as part of a deal to buy the seats, which follow the 'cradle' philosophy, he said.
On the test pilots themselves, Dr Nair said, "You know... since they are from the Indian Air Force, they are close to astronauts in terms of key attributes, like quick response time, and have responded well to tests like centrifuge, which subjects them to higher acceleration forces."
"They were trained at are now an astronaut training centre for 13 months for training on survivability in different conditions, and then will be were subjected to parabolic flight tests. Then they went will go to Bengaluru, where a the Human Space Flight Centre is set up and will get more training, including physical training."
The four pilot-astronauts - dubbed 'India's Fantastic 4' - were revealed to the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week; they are Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. All are highly experienced test pilots, and will be over 40 years of age when the first flight lifts off on the Launch Vehicle Mark-3.
READ | India's Fantastic 4: Meet Gaganyaan Astronauts Named By PM
Their training will also include academic courses and detailed instruction on Gaganyaan flight systems, as well as yoga, sources at ISRO, India's space agency, told NDTV.
READ | Gravity, Flying Practice, Yoga: Training For Gaganyaan Astronauts
Earlier all four also received training at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre.
Dr Nair also explained why no women will be part of this historic space flight - because pilot-astronauts are drawn from the ranks of Air Force test pilots. At this time, India has no women in that role as test pilots.
NDTV Explains | Why No Woman Among 4 Pilots Chosen For Gaganyaan Mission
"When I was HSFC (Human Space Flight Centre) Director, we put this idea to the Air Force. But unfortunately, there were then no women test pilots then. Now, I understand there are... and I hope they will soon join us," he said. Meanwhile Nair says women can get an opportunity to be an astronaut as mission specialists who could be flown after the technology demonstrator flights are completed.
Meanwhile, NDTV also met Vyommitra - the robotic (female) humanoid that will fly into space for a test flight ahead of the mission. The new avatar Vyommitra is made of metal and far less fragile looking than what was shown earlier wearing Indian clothes.
The launch of Vyommitra - whose name comes from Sanskrit words meaning 'space' ('vyom') and 'friend' ('mitra') - may be in the third quarter of this year.
READ | Robot Astronaut Vyommitra To Simulate Human Functions In Space
Overall, work is on at full pace for the Gaganyaan mission, which will cost about Rs 9,000 crore, with the four test pilots undergoing special training and the launch vehicle now human rated, which means its ability to safely carry and return its human occupants has been evaluated and confirmed.
Before the manned flight, though, there must be at least two successful unmanned flights, the first of which, if all goes well, will take place by the middle of, or end of, this year, NDTV was told.
About 20 different big tests need to be completed successfully and back-to-back before an Indian astronaut can be launched into space from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and, therefore, ISRO is un-willing to give an exact time frame for the crewed launch.
This, though, may not happen before 2025.
If India succeeds, it will only be the fourth country after Russia, the United States, and China to have independent capability to launch humans into space, and scientists at ISRO are working hard to make this national mission a success in this year of Gaganyaan readiness.