ISRO to launch 2 missions under Gaganyaan programme in 2023: Jitendra Singh
The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch two initial missions later this year under the 'Gaganyaan' programme followed by country's maiden human space-flight mission in 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said.
The second part of the 2023 mission will carry a female robot "Vyommitra" to space, the science and technology minister said.
In an interview with PTI, Singh said these missions were envisaged to be launched in the 75th year of Indian independence, but due to the emergence of COVID-19 these programmes were delayed by two to three years.
"The then ongoing training of our astronauts in Russia was stopped midway due to the pandemic," he said, adding that they were sent back to complete their training once the situation subsided.
"In the second half of this year, two initial missions will be sent under the Gaganyaan programme. One mission will be completely unmanned and a female robot named 'Vyommitra' will be sent in the second one," Singh said.
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