The Indian Air Force has provided the first official glimpse of the Indian astronaut candidates in a video clip released as part of the 91st Indian Air Force Day celebrations. The candidates are shown engaged in intense workouts.
Four pilots from the Indian Air Force have undergone multiple rounds of screening and selection to participate in ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan Human spaceflight mission to Low Earth orbit.
Since India does not have a dedicated pool of astronauts, the decision was made to choose candidates from the Indian Air Force due to their experience in handling high ‘g’ forces during complex aerial maneuvers.
On Earth’s surface, we all experience a ‘1g’ force, which represents the normal pull of gravity. However, during rapid acceleration or deceleration in an aerospace vehicle, this force increases and is denoted by a number preceding the ‘g’. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘g force’ or acceleration due to gravity.
Fighter pilots, by nature of their profession, are trained to endure sustained loads of g forces, making them well-suited for astronaut training.
The Indian astronaut candidates have already completed a round of training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and have been undergoing simulator and theoretical training in India.
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