India’s astronaut cadre is set to undergo a significant transformation as the Indian Space Research Organisation prepares to open future missions to civilian participation, reported Chetan Kumar of TOI.

This marks a decisive shift in the country’s approach to human spaceflight, moving beyond the initial focus on safety and technology validation towards building a sustained astronaut pool for long-term missions and eventual habitation in orbit.

The committee on astronaut selection and management has recommended that the second batch of astronauts include four civilian specialists from STEM backgrounds alongside six mission pilots drawn from military aviation.

This contrasts with the first batch, which comprised exclusively of Indian Air Force test pilots — Air Commodore Prashanth B Nair, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Prathap — all seasoned fighter pilots turned test pilots.

The second batch is expected to also feature combat helicopter pilots from the IAF, reflecting a broader range of operational expertise.

The inclusion of civilians signals ISRO’s intent to look beyond proving basic human spaceflight technologies. It points towards building a cadre capable of supporting regular missions, scientific work in orbit, and eventually India’s planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

However, the committee has stipulated that civilians will only begin flying from the fourth crewed Gaganyaan mission, aligning with global practice where military-trained astronauts are prioritised until systems are mature enough to accommodate civilian specialists.

Planning assumptions envisage two crewed missions annually, with astronauts potentially flying again after a two-year gap. A full astronaut cycle — from selection through training and mission preparation — is estimated at 4.5 years. Initially, seven astronauts were deemed sufficient for operational needs in the second batch, but this number was raised to 10 to account for attrition and possible international mission opportunities.

A further expansion is planned from the seventh crewed mission, when the crew size will rise from two to three astronauts, enabled by augmentation of the Gaganyaan crew module’s capacity. This expansion is directly linked to long-term plans for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, which will require a larger and more diverse astronaut pool for scientific utilisation.

For the third batch, the committee has projected a need for 12 astronauts, with a dramatic shift in composition — two mission pilots and 10 civilian specialists. In total, the committee has proposed a cadre strength of up to 40 astronauts, arguing that long-term uncertainties and evolving global opportunities necessitate a larger margin in planning.

The readiness of the second batch has been targeted within 72 months, with the third batch expected by 96 months.

Despite these ambitious plans, ISRO faces challenges in infrastructure and technology development. At present, the agency operates only a temporary astronaut training centre and has yet to establish a full-fledged facility.

Technologically, even for the first uncrewed mission, ISRO is lagging in several critical areas, most notably the environment control and life support systems (ECLSS), without which human spaceflight cannot proceed. This gap underscores the need for accelerated development to match the pace of astronaut cadre expansion.

TOI