Indian astronauts selected for joint ISRO-NASA mission to ISS complete initial training

Two Indian astronauts chosen for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) have completed the initial phase of training, the ISRO has said.

Accorsing to ISRO, towards the goal of accomplishing a joint ISRO-NASA effort to the International Space Station, the two Gaganyatris (Prime-Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Backup-Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair) assigned for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) commenced their training in the USA from first week of August,2024.

The initial phase of training has been completed successfully by the Gaganyatris.

During this phase of training, the Gaganyatris have completed initial orientations for mission-related ground facility tours, initial overview of mission launch phases, SpaceX suit fit checks, and selected space food options, it said.

Furthermore, the training also included familiarization sessions with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and various onboard systems of the International Space Station, including photography from space, daily operations routine, and communication protocols.

One of the highlights of this phase was training for various types of emergencies in space, including medical emergencies, the space agency said.

Upcoming training will primarily 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."

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh in August had said that an Indian astronaut is likely to fly to the International Space Station by April next year as part of the NASA-ISRO collaborative initiative.