ISRO Gaganyaan Mission Not Affected by COVID-19, Chandrayaan 3 Planned for Next Year: Dr Jitendra Singh

ISRO Gaganyaan mission, the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, will take place as planned and has not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.

“The launch of India’s first human space mission “Gaganyaan” will not be affected by COVID pandemic and preparation are carrying on in the right direction,” said the minister according to PIB. The minister had previously said that the training of astronauts the training of four Indian astronauts in Russia had to be stopped due to the pandemic.

However, the ISRO chairman and the scientific team had suggested a “cushion” due to which the mission has not been delayed, added the minister. The launch of the ISRO Gaganyaan mission will be conducted as per schedule before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022, and the training of astronauts has resumed.

On the Chandrayaan 3 mission, the minister said that it is planned for launch next year, and it involves a lander, rover and a propulsion system to carry the modules to move. Nevertheless, the mission will not involve an orbiter as the orbiter that was launched with Chandrayaan 2 is fully functional, stated the minister.