The three-month-long training for the Gaganyatris included SpaceX suit fit checks, selection of space food, familiarisation with the ISS and Dragon spacecraft, and extensive sessions on emergency protocols and medical response.“The training included photography from space, daily operations routine, and communication protocols. One of the important highlights of this phase was training for various types of emergencies in space, including medical emergencies,” ISRO said. These exercises will equip the astronauts with the skills required for the challenging conditions of space, ensuring readiness for the mission.
The next phase for Shukla and Nair will address the remaining modules of the US Orbital Segment of the space station along with training towards conducting scientific research experiments in the microgravity environment during the mission. “In addition, the crew will train and perform different mission scenarios in the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft,” an official statement from the Indian space agency read.
NASA’s website mentioned that the mission will take place no earlier than spring (April) 2025 from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, giving enough time for training the selected astronauts. This will be Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. The astronauts are set to spend 14 days in space where the group will participate in international scientific experiments.
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The Axiom Mission will provide India with crucial information on ISS while it tries to demonstrate its first human spaceflight crew mission–Gaganyaan scheduled for 2026 following which the country aims to build a Bhartiya Antariksh Station by 2035.
