Aspiring astronauts need to be patient as missions take decades: Astronaut-designate Pratap

New Delhi: Group Captain Angad Pratap, one of the astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan Mission, on Friday said patience is an essential attribute for those keen on travelling to space as such missions take decades to “lift off and stabilise”.

In the first ever online talk by an astronaut-designate, Pratap likened himself and three other astronauts with opening batsmen in a cricket match and said that opportunities would open up for a wider range of persons, including scientists and academicians to participate in space missions.

He said ISRO would be interested in persons from the experimental domains and those involved in aerospace research.

“If you have some research work which can make life of ISRO in the kind of struggles it is facing with its technical paths, of course, you will certainly get preference over others,” Pratap said, but made it clear that he was not involved in drafting policies for the space agency and was merely speaking from his recent experience as an astronaut-designate.

Earlier this year, ISRO unveiled its four astronaut designates –“ Pratap, P Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla — who have been undergoing training for ISRO’s human spaceflight project Gaganyaan.

Shukla and Nair are undergoing training in the US for a space mission onboard the International Space Station as part of a joint initiative between ISRO and NASA. Shukla has been chosen for the flight expected next year while Nair is the backup.

“Pioneer space programmes take decades to lift off and stabilise,” Pratap said, adding that those aspiring to be astronauts should be willing to withstand long waiting times for a mission assignment.

He said that becoming an astronaut was a commitment to space research and science, not about fame or simply experiencing a space ride.

“Your choice to become an astronaut is always for science and it is not about you. It can never be about celebrity status. There is no personal glory to seek, there are only milestones for the cause of science to seek,” Pratap said.

Pratap said he and his fellow astronaut designates have undergone training in six key verticals –“ core academics, physical fitness, aviation skills, psychology, survival skills, and miscellaneous skills.

Pratap said astronauts undergo three-five hours of daily physical training, including yoga and supervised nutrition.