India will launch it
India plans to launch humanoid robot Vyommitra into orbit in the third quarter of 2024, as announced by Minister of State Jitendra Singh, responsible for nuclear and space industries in the Indian government. The robot will check the performance of the life support systems of the Gaganyan spacecraft before astronauts go into orbit.
«The unmanned Vyommitra mission is planned for the third quarter of this year», — noted the press service of the Government of India in a press release. The robot's name comes from the Sanskrit words «vyom» (&space», «cosmos») and «mitra» (&friend»). The developers have confirmed that the robot in the form of a woman knows several languages and can answer questions, including those related to the technical condition of the ship.
«Astronaut Vyommitra is designed to simulate human functions in the space environment and interact with life support systems, — stressed the Minister of State. The robot can monitor the parameters of the orbital module, control the ship's panels and answer questions from the mission control center. This mission will be an important milestone before the first manned space flight of the national crew.
The head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Sridhara Panicker Somnath earlier said that India plans to send the first crewed spacecraft into orbit by the end of 2025.