• India is set to launch Vyommitra, a female robot astronaut, into space as part of the ambitious Gaganyaan project.
• Ahead of the manned mission, a test flight with Vyommitra is scheduled for next year.
  • The Gaganyaan project aims to showcase India’s capability in human spaceflight.

ABOUT VYOMMITRA

• Vyommitra is a half-humanoid robot introduced at the “Human Spaceflight and Exploration — Present Challenges and Future Trends” event in January 2020
• It represents a fusion of Sanskrit words—Vyoma (Space) and Mitra (Friend).
• The Isro Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) spearheaded the design, while the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) contributed to its fingers.
• The robot’s AI-enabled features, enable it to speak, see, express facial emotions, and withstand the rigours of space travel.
• Vyommitra’s role spans both unmanned and manned missions, where she will mimic astronaut tasks to analyze their behaviour.
• Capable of executing various procedures and imitating human actions in space, Vyommitra is poised to monitor module parameters, offer alerts, manage life support, and operate switch panels during uncrewed flights.