New Delhi: Coronavirus epidemic may delay the sending of India’s unmanned space mission under the first phase of ‘Gaganyaan’ which is planned for launch in December 2020. Sources gave this information. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has planned to send two unmanned missions to space in December 2021, under ‘Gaganyaan’, before the plan to send humans to space for the first time. A possible delay in the first unmanned mission has recently been conveyed to the Space Commission, the apex policy-making body on space-related issues.
Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of Department of Space. Sivan heads the Space Commission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the manned space mission two years ago in his Independence Day address. The objective of the Gaganyaan mission is to send a three-member team into space for a period of five to seven days by 2022 to mark 75 years of India’s independence. Accordingly, ISRO started planning the mission. Under this, it is planned to send the first unmanned mission in December 2020 and the idea of sending the second unmanned mission in June 2021.
ISRO indicated that disruptions caused by the coronavirus epidemic had affected its functioning and delayed many missions. Among the major projects affected are Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan. Chandrayaan-3, the third mission to be sent to the moon, is expected to be launched later this year.
Sources said efforts are on to follow the 2022 deadline of the mission to send humans to space. A source said, “We will not be able to meet the December 2020 deadline for sending unmanned missions. The corona virus epidemic has caused many disruptions. The Space Commission was also told recently.
