GAGANYAAN – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
News: Gaganyaan Astronauts Selected for Axiom-4 Mission
What’s in the News?
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts for
the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station
(ISS) in collaboration with the United States' National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Axiom-4 Mission
NASA and Axiom Space, an american privately funded space infrastructure
developer signed an order for the fourth private astronaut mission to
the ISS, aiming to launch in August 2024 from Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.
§ The
mission aims to dock with the ISS for a fourteen-day duration.
Indian astronauts will receive training from NASA, international
partners, and SpaceX, focusing on spacecraft systems and emergency
preparedness, as part of India-US space cooperation goals.
International Space Station (ISS)?
§ The ISS
is a large, permanently crewed laboratory that orbits Earth, 400 kilometres
above its surface. It is home to astronauts and cosmonauts, and
serves as a unique science laboratory.
·
Its research is expected to lead to advancements in many
areas, including medicine, technology, science, and understanding the Earth and
universe.
§ It's a
collaboration between 15 countries and five space agencies namely NASA
(United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
§ An
international crew of seven people live and work while
travelling at a speed of 7.66 km/sec, orbiting Earth about every 90 minutes.
In 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, travelling
through 16 sunrises and sunsets.
·
Peggy Whitson set the
US record for spending the most total time living and working in space for 665
days.
§ The
first parts of the ISS were sent and assembled in orbit in 1998. Since
the year 2000, the ISS has had crews living continuously on board.