Vyommitra

Vyommitra (Sanskrit: Vyōma "space", Mitra "friend") is a female humanoid robot designed for space travel. She was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to function aboard the spacecraft Gaganyaan, a crewed orbital spacecraft. Vyommitra was first unveiled on 22 January 2020 at the Human Spaceflight and Exploration Symposium in Bengaluru.

She will accompany Indian astronauts on space missions and be a part of uncrewed experimental Gaganyaan missions before the crewed flights.

Objectives and abilities
The robot is part of the ISRO's aim to substitute animals with humanoid robots on experimental missions, with the goal of better understanding the effects of prolonged exposure to radiation and microgravity environments on the human body during space travel.

Vyommitra can mimic human activity, recognise various humans, and respond to their queries in both Hindi and English. The robot is expected to be aboard uncrewed Gaganyaan missions to conduct experiments in microgravity environments and monitor module parameters. In crewed missions, she will also support astronauts by simulating human functions. She can handle environment control and life support systems, perform switch panel operations, and give environmental air pressure change warnings.

The prototype models of Vyommitra have finished trials, and the engineering models are undergoing trials. The Vyommitra flight model to be used in the Gaganyaan missions is also being built by the ISRO.

Union Minister of State, Jitendra Singh, said in early February 2024 that the uncrewed Vyommitra mission is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, while the crewed mission is scheduled for launch in 2025.