Indian Ambassador Thanks Russia's Roscosmos For Help In Training Indian Astronauts

Indian ambassador to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma has expressed gratitude to Russian space agency Roscosmos for providing training to Indian candidates to pilot the Indian spaceship Gaganyaan into orbit

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2021) Indian ambassador to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma has expressed gratitude to Russian space agency Roscosmos for providing training to Indian candidates to pilot the Indian spaceship Gaganyaan into orbit.

"We deeply appreciate Roscosmos for the support they gave us. During the pandemic they took special measures for putting the necessary protections," the ambassador said.

Four Indian astronauts finished their training in March this year. After that they returned to India but the training continues, according to the ambassador.

"Some aspects of the program will be conducted with the input from Russia. But it is the training program that is conducted by the Indian people," he stated.

The ambassador said that the training was held in time, being only delayed for a few days.

"So we are very grateful. The astronauts had an opportunity to meet [Roscosmos chief] Dmitry Rogozin.

He came to our embassy," the ambassador continued.

The ambassador quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said that when the Gaganyaan astronauts go into space, "it will be one more symbol of Russian-Indian friendship - on Indian space program."

The contract for the training of four Indian astronauts was signed on June 27, 2019, between Russian launch service provider Glavkosmos and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The training began on February 10, 2020, but it was temporarily interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first manned space flight of India's Gaganyaan project, which hopes to take Indian astronauts to space, is expected to take place no earlier than 2023. The Gaganyaan program also envisages two unmanned flights before the launch of a crewed mission.