The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to send its first manned mission to space in December 2021, but before that, it is apparently sending a half-humanoid robot to space later this year. Called ‘Vyommitra’ (Friend in Space), the so-called ‘lady-robot’ will be one of the payloads aboard the unmanned ‘Gaganyaan’ spacecraft when it takes off in December 2020. The name of the humanoid is a combination of two Sanskrit words, ‘Vyoma’, meaning space and ‘Mitra’, meaning friend.
In the run up to the first Human Space Mission by India at @isro … ‘Vyommitra’, the humanoid for #Gaganyaan unveiled. This prototype of humanoid will go as trial before Gaganyaan goes with Astronauts. #ISRO pic.twitter.com/pnzklgSfqu
Sivan also said that the human spaceflight venture, ‘Gaganyaan’, is “on schedule” for December 2021 and the agency will be conducting a series of tests this year in preparation for the event. “We are on schedule. We are going to do lots of demonstration tests this year. This year end we will send our unmanned mission and the half-humanoid you have seen today is going to fly in it”, he said.
