Opportunity for civilians
Bengaluru
In a significant shift in India’s human spaceflight programme, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to open its astronaut cadre to civilians for the first time, with four of the ten slots in the upcoming second batch expected to be filled by specialists from non-military backgrounds.
The move marks a transition from the initial phase of the Gaganyaan mission, where the focus was primarily on ensuring safe crewed flights using experienced military test pilots. The first batch of astronauts—Air Commodore Prashanth B Nair, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, and Group Captain Angad Prathap—were all drawn from the Indian Air Force’s elite test pilot pool.
According to sources, ISRO’s astronaut selection and management committee has recommended that the second batch include six mission pilots from military aviation backgrounds and four civilian experts from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The inclusion of civilians reflects ISRO’s long-term vision of building a diverse and sustainable astronaut corps capable of supporting scientific missions and future space station operations.
While civilians will be inducted in the second batch, they are expected to begin flying only from the fourth crewed Gaganyaan mission. This phased approach aligns with global practices, where space agencies initially rely on military-trained astronauts until technologies mature and mission risks are reduced.
The expansion of the astronaut pool is also linked to increasing mission frequency. The committee initially estimated a requirement of seven astronauts for operational needs but later raised the number to ten, factoring in potential international collaborations and attrition.
Further changes are planned in the later stages of the programme. From the seventh crewed mission onward, the crew size is expected to increase from two to three astronauts, enabled by upgrades to the Gaganyaan crew module. This development is closely tied to India’s long-term goal of establishing the Bhartiya Antriksh Station, which will require a larger and more varied astronaut base.
Looking ahead, a third batch of around 12 astronauts is also being considered, with a likely increase in civilian representation. The shift underscores ISRO’s evolution from experimental missions to sustained human presence in space.