ISRO Gaganyaan Mission, Space Station Project Get French Helping Aid

India has planned out a couple of space exploration projects for the coming decade. As part of this, the ISRO Space Station project will be getting a French helping hand. France's National Center for Space Studies (CNES) is already collaborating with the ISRO Gaganyaan mission and will further aid with ISRO's space station project.

The New Indian Express reports that the French space agency and its collaborating industries have a good foothold in the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and with operations like the International Space Station. Together, ISRO and CNES have chalked a draft agreement, where the French agency will also provide training for the Indian astronauts and continue for the space station project.

CNES For Gaganyaan Mission

Most likely, the four Indian astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission will receive training by Novespace, a CNES subsidiary, on parabolic flights aboard the Air Zero Gravity, which is a modified version of the Airbus A310. The experience will give astronauts a zero-gravity environment on Earth.

CNES equipment for life support will also be provided for Indian astronauts. Other devices like health monitoring, eyewear equipment with Bluetooth connection, astronaut garments with biomedical sensors, aquapad cotton for quick and easy testing of water, specific equipment for waste management, or even food packaging will be provided by CNES.

Additionally, CNES will provide expert services at CADMOS, which is the control center in charge of operating the science and physiological experiments on the ISS. The center prepares the instruments and equipment required by the astronauts on ISS. The service will take place at MEDES space medicine research facility and hospital, in collaboration with ESA's European Astronaut Center (EAC), the report notes.

🇫🇷 national space agency @CNES, which is collaborating with the @isro in the #Gaganyaan project, will also partner with the latter in the development of India’s planned space station.https://t.co/3CyIb8SVYD pic.twitter.com/nbG5r9slkf

— Consulate General of France, Bangalore (@BangaloreFrance) January 27, 2020

Additional Equipment For Gaganyaan Mission

Astronauts preparing for the Gaganyaan mission may use additional devices like ECHO, an ultrasound system teleoperated by doctors on the ground. The Cardiomed, a device used to measure cardiovascular activity might also be shipped. CNES expert Dr. Brigitte Godard has already spent time during July and August in Bengaluru to train physicians and personnel, a CNES official Jean-Yves Le Gall said.

For now, the astronauts will begin training in Russia. Physicians and engineers in the Gaganyaan mission will also be trained in France. The training will be given at MEDES space medicine and physiology institute in Toulouse and by the teams at ESA's astronaut training center in Cologne, The New Indian Express reports.