ISRO has announced earlier in 2019 that it will send humans to space in December 2021, but the esteemed space organization of India today announced that it will send a humanoid robot named ‘Vyommitra’ to space ahead of its first-ever crewed space mission Gaganyaan.
What is Vyommitra?
Vyommitra is a Sanskrit word with a combination of two words “Vyom means space” and “Mitra means friend” and ISRO has developed it as a human woman but it doesn’t have any legs.
In the run up to the first Human Space Mission by India at @isro … 'Vyommitra', the humanoid for #Gaganyaan unveiled. This prototype of humanoid will go as trial before Gaganyaan goes with Astronauts. #ISRO pic.twitter.com/pnzklgSfqu
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) January 22, 2020
On its first preview to the world, Vyommitra told reporters it can operate switch panels, chat with the astronauts and monitor a spacecraft’s environmental and life support systems. Its primary operation is to allow ISRO to test and analyze how space flight affects the human body before the agency sends astronauts up in one of its Gaganyaan craft.
“It will be simulating exactly the human functions there [in space]. It will check whether the system is right. This will be very useful to simulate as if a human is flying,” ISRO chairman K Sivan told reporters at the media event where the agency showed off the robot.
