India's manned space mission in December 2021: ISRO
Bengaluru, Jan 11: India's maiden manned space mission 'Gaganyaan' is set for December 2021 launch and is likely to include a woman astronaut, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Sivan said Friday.
Gearing up for the mission, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ISRO has set up a new centre to facilitate the manned voyage involving a three-member crew, he said.
"We have put everything in place. Gaganyaan has highest priority for 2019. We are planning to have first unmanned mission in December 2020 and second for July 2021. Once we complete this the manned mission will happen in December 2021. The entire team is geared up to achieve this target," Sivan said.
The Union Cabinet gave its nod for the Rs 9,023 crore programme recently, he said, briefing reporters about the achievements of the city-headquartered ISRO in the previous year and the future programmes.
In his Independence Day address last year, Modi had announced that the mission would be undertaken by 2022 using ISRO's own capabilities.
"We have resolved that by 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of Independence or maybe even before that, certainly some of our young boys and girls will unfurl the Tricolour in space," he had said in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
To a question, the ISRO chief said, "We want women astronauts also should be there. That is our aim. In my opinion, we have to train both men and women. The PM has told brother and sister (boys and girls). We will be happy to do that but it involves training and other things."
He said a major expansion was in the offing with the launch of Gaganyaan.
"There are two aspects to Gaganyaan engineering and human. This is a major expansion because it is not only launching human into the space but a space station. Human programme is a major turning point," Sivan said.
He said the objective of the mission is to carry a three-member crew to low earth orbit and return them safely to a predefined destination on earth.
Sivan said ISRO has launched the Human Space Flight Centre to take care of all the things related to the manned space programme.
The centre will have senior scientist Unnikrishnan Nair as its director while the project director would be Dr R Hutton, the ISRO chief said.
He said the crew members for Gaganyaan would be from India and include one from the Indian Air Force.
Gaganyaan initial training will be in the country but advanced training might be abroad, maybe in Russia, Sivan said.
On successful completion of the mission, India would become the fourth nation in the world to achieve the feat, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Dalits, women 'completely unsafe' under BJP rule: Rahul Gandhi on minor's rape in UP
New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the alleged rape of an 11-year-old Dalit girl and demanded strict action against the culprit.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said such crimes were "happening continuously" in the state due to the BJP's anti-Dalit and anti-women mindset.
The deaf-and-mute girl went missing on Tuesday and was found in a field the next morning. She was bleeding from her private parts, and there were bite marks on her body. The girl is undergoing treatment at a hospital and is stated to be critical.
"The brutality and cruelty inflicted on an 11-year-old Dalit girl in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, is extremely shameful and shocking. Such crimes happening continuously in UP clearly prove that Dalits, and especially daughters, are completely unsafe under the BJP government.
"It is the result of the BJP's anti-Dalit and anti-women mindset that criminals are fearless of law and order, and victims are helpless! Till when will the daughters of Uttar Pradesh continue to be victims of such brutality," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
"We have a simple demand from the administration - take strict action against the culprit and provide speedy justice to the victim and her family," the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a 24-year-old man within 24 hours of the incident.
Daan Singh was caught following a brief exchange of fire with police on Wednesday night in which he was injured, officials said.
उत्तर प्रदेश के रामपुर में 11 वर्षीय दलित बेटी के साथ हुई दरिंदगी और क्रूरता बेहद शर्मनाक और झकझोरने वाली है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 17, 2025
UP में लगातार ऐसे अपराध साफ़ तौर पर साबित करते हैं कि BJP सरकार में दलित, और विशेष रूप से बेटियां, पूरी तरह असुरक्षित हैं।
ये BJP की दलित और महिला विरोधी मानसिकता का…
