ISRO Gaganyaan Mission: France To Provide Equipment Similar To Mission Alpha

ISRO Gaganyaan mission is developing in full swing. Reports note that ISRO and France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) is in an advanced stage of discussions for providing the required equipment for the manned space mission. The equipment will be similar to the one to be used by France's Mission Alpha next year.

Mission Alpha involves French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who is part of the European Space Agency (ESA). The astronaut will be heading to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX Crew Dragon early next year. CNES official noted that the work for Mission Alpha is already in development.

France is one of the countries that's noted for its space equipment, especially medicine. The premier space agency has a well-established mechanism for space medicine wth the MEDES (French Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology), a space clinic. As a subsidiary of CNES, space surgeons undergo training here.

"The Indian space surgeons will also go to France next year once the coronavirus situation eases," an ISRO official said. However, there was no further elaboration about the particular partnership to supply the equipment for the Gaganyaan astronauts.

India France Partnership For Space Missions

France and India have shared many collaborations for space missions. The lastest one is the partnership for the Rs. 10,000 crore Gaganyaan mission that would send three astronauts to space in 2022. Moreover, French astronauts were in India to train physicians and engineers. Now that the talks are in an advanced stage, we expect to hear more about the equipment details soon. Presently, the four Indian Air Force pilots are training for the Gaganyaan mission in Russia.