India is planning its first astronaut mission in 2024, which was originally scheduled for this year, but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.
Local news agency IANS quoted the head of the ministry as saying that the training of astronauts selected for the Gaganján mission in India and Russia has been hampered by the pandemic.
A test flight with a robot is expected to be planned next year. The driving force behind India’s space program is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, among other things, wants to show his country’s growing role on the international stage.
Above all, New Delhi expects advances in science and cost-effective space missions from its astronaut mission. India is already famous for its ability to launch satellites into space at a relatively cheap cost relative to other countries as well.
However, many projects have been postponed due to the pandemic, so the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar probe has been postponed to next year after India’s second lunar mission failed. However, some experts complain that India, with a population of 1.3 billion, is spending too much money on its space program while many of its residents live in poverty.
Featured image is an illustration.
