Space suits for Gaganyaan astronauts under production in Russia

Russian research and development enterprise 'Zvezda' has started manufacturing of space suits for the Indian astronauts, who are likely to be part of India's first manned space mission 'Gaganyaa', a Russian organisation said on Monday. Research, Development and Production Enterprise Zvezda has started manufacturing personal flight equipment for the Indian cosmonauts undergoing training in Russia, Glavkosmos said on Monday.

Glavkosmos is a subsidiary of Roscosmos with which the Human Spaceflight Center (HSC) of the city-based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a contract to train the Indian astronauts.

"On September 3, Indian cosmonauts who have been training for a spaceflight in Russia under the contract of Glavkosmos, visited Zvezda, where their anthropometric parameters were measured for the subsequent production of spacesuits," Glavkosmos CEO Dmitry Loskutov said.

The contract also provides for the production of individual seats and custom-made couch liners, he added. The contract for the production and delivery of individual equipment kits for Indian astronauts was signed by Glavkosmos and the HSC on March 11.

Four Indian Air Force fighter pilots are currently under training in Russia since February 10, and likely to be the potential candidates for Gaganyaan project. Gaganyaan, India's first manned mission to space, was planned around 2022.

However, the ISRO has indicated that it may be delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown induced by it.