India plans to send a female robotic astronaut into space, The Independent reports.
According to Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, the launch of a robotic astronaut called Vyommitra, which means “friend of space,” is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024.
Jitendra Singh noted that the Vyommitra humanoid robot is designed to mimic human functions and interact with the life support system of the space capsule.
Vyommitra was first introduced in January 2020.
The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) plans to use robots instead of animals during experimental flights to understand how weightlessness and radiation in space can affect humans.
ISRO hopes that such a robot will help the crew monitor module parameters, operate panels, respond to queries, and simulate human-like functions in future missions.
In October 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned new space mission goals to Isro, including landing an Indian on the moon and establishing its own lunar space station by 2035.
ISRO has set up a Manned Spaceflight Center in Bengaluru to train future astronauts, including physical fitness, medical training, yoga, spacesuit training and running simulations.
