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The Indian Space Research Organisation has unveiled a human robot that will be sent to space as part of the Gaganyaan mission, India's ambitious plan to send humans to space. Vyommitra can recognise astronauts, converse with them and answer their queries. Vyommitra is a half-humanoid who can mimic human actions. ISRO will send Vyommitra to space on unmanned missions. ISRO aims to send three Indians to space by 2022

She can talk. She can recognise other humans. She can mimic what they would do in space. She can even hold conversations and answer queries. She is Vyommitra, a space faring human robot developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation. Vyommitra is a 'half-humanoid' that ISRO plans to send to space as part of test flights that will be undertaken ahead of the ambitious launch of India's maiden human spaceflight mission.

Vyommitra, in her own words, can "mimic" the activity of a crew of astronauts and even "recognise them and respond to their queries". Vyommitra was unveiled by ISRO at an event in Bangalore on Wednesday where she greeted reporters with "Hi, I'm Vyommitra the first prototype of half humanoid."

According to an ISRO scientist, Vyommitra is a half humanoid since she does not have legs. "It's called a half humanoid because it doesn't have legs. It can only bend side wards and forward. It will carry out certain experiments and will always remain in touch with the ISRO command centre," ISRO scientist Sam Dayal said.

The space agency plans to send Vyommitra to space later this year when it will launch unmanned flights to space as part of the Gaganyaan project. The Gaganyaan project, announced by PM Narendra Modi in his 2019 Independence Day address, is an ambitious plan of sending Indians to space.

An Indian -- Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma -- has been to space. But, he did so as a cosmonaut on-board a Russian spacecraft. The Gaganyaan project, on the other hand, aims to send three Indians to space on-board an Indian spacecraft launched by an Indian rocket from within India.

Four men -- all pilots from the Indian Air Force -- have already been shortlisted for the Gaganyaan mission. They will receive training in Russia and India. Simultaneously, doctors from the Indian Air Force will be sent to France to be trained in monitoring the health of astronauts who will fly to space.

Previously, ISRO unveiled prototypes of the spacesuits and the crew capsule that will be used for the Gaganyaan mission. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III rocket, which will fly the astronauts to space, has already been developed and has proven its mettle.

ISRO aims to launch the manned spaceflight mission by 2022. Before that, the space agency will launch two unmanned missions -- one in December this year and another in June 2021. These will demonstration test flight aimed at proving that ISRO can fly humans to space and at testing the various systems that will be part of the final manned space mission.

The humanoid Vyommitra will be part of both the unmanned spaceflights during which she will mimic crew activity. Will she also accompany the three Indian astronauts during their historic flight to space in 2022? It is not known. But, while 'speaking' to reporters on Wednesday, she did say that she could "recognise [astronauts] and respond to their queries".