A Russian company has started to manufacture space suits for the Indian astronauts, who are likely to be part of India’s first manned space mission ‘Gaganyaan.’

Four Indian Air Force fighter pilots are currently under training in Russia since February 10, who are the potential candidates for the Gaganyaan project.

Research, Development and Production Enterprise Zvezda, a subsidiary of Russian space organisation Roscosmos, has started manufacturing personal flight equipment for the Indian cosmonauts undergoing training in Russia, the country’s organisation Glavkosmos said on Monday.

“On September 3, Indian cosmonauts who have been training for a spaceflight in Russia under the contract of Glavkosmos, visited Zvezda, where their anthropometric parameters were measured for the subsequent production of spacesuits,” Glavkosmos CEO Dmitry Loskutov said.

Glavkosmos is a subsidiary of Roscosmos with which the Human Spaceflight Center (HSC) of the city-based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a contract to train the Indian astronauts.

The contract for the production and delivery of equipment kits for Indian astronauts was signed March 11 and also provides for the production of individual seats and custom-made couch liners. 

Gaganyaan, India’s first manned mission to space, was planned around 2022.

However, the ISRO has indicated that it may be delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown induced by it.