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Humanoid Skull for Gaganyaan Mission
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ISRO has finalised the design of a humanoid skull that will be sent into space for safety tests ahead of India’s first human spaceflight scheduled for next year.
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- Design and Material: The humanoid skull, weighing 800 grams and measuring 200 mm x 220 mm, has been designed by ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Made from high-strength aluminium alloy, the skull is designed to withstand pressure and vibrations during launch.
- It will be covered in a prosthetic material resembling skin and will house mechanisms to mimic human facial movements.
- Vyommitra: The skull will be the central component of Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot whose name means ‘space friend’ in Sanskrit.
- Vyommitra will simulate the upper part of the human body, including the torso, arms, face, and neck, all of which can move in different directions.
- Equipped with sensors and instruments, Vyommitra will measure the effects of space on humans during an uncrewed mission before ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission with actual astronauts.
- Purpose and Functionality: Vyommitra is designed to perform human-like functions and demonstrate operations such as tasks related to the Crew Console.
- The humanoid skull is built to endure the vibrational loads experienced during a spacecraft launch.
- Importance of Humanoids in Space Missions: Humanoids like Vyommitra are crucial in collecting data on the impacts of space travel on human bodies, aiding in the design of safer and more comfortable spacecraft.
- Robotic systems also assist astronauts in performing repetitive or hazardous tasks during space missions.
- Pre-Mission Tests: Two uncrewed preparatory missions, Gaganyaan-1 (G1) and Gaganyaan-2 (G2), will precede the manned flight.
- G1, set for December launch, will focus on testing the safe re-entry and orientation of the spacecraft during its descent into the sea.
- G2 will carry Vyommitra inside a pressurised crew module to record flight parameters and study the effects on humans.
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Gaganyaan Mission The Gaganyaan Mission is India’s ambitious project led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aimed at demonstrating human spaceflight capability. This mission marks a significant milestone for India, as it seeks to send Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit (LEO) for a duration of approximately three days. Mission Overview:
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