India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme
Space station is also called orbital station. It orbits around Earth. Basically, it is a large spacecraft or man-made station in space, a home where astronauts live. It also receive several space crafts from the Earth. It is a kind of science lab, many countries worked together to build it and also, work together to use it. Recently ISRO chief said ‘We are planning to have a separate space station. We will not be a part of ISS. Our space station is going to be very small’.
India’s plan to have its own space station
•The Indian space station will be much smaller (mass of 20 tonnes) than the International Space Station and will be used for carrying out micro gravity experiments (not for space tourism).
•Preliminary plan for the space station is to accommodate astronauts for upto 20 days in space, and the project will be an extension of the Gaganyaan mission.
•It will orbit the Earth at an altitude of around 400km.
•ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is working on space docking experiment (Spadex), a technology that is crucial for making the space station functional.
•India is planning to conduct small micro gravity experiments in space.
Benefits of own space station programme
•Space station is essential for collecting meaningful scientific data, especially for biological experiments.
•Provide platform for greater number and length of scientific studies than available on other space vehicles. (As Gaganyaan will take humans and experiments in micro gravity for few days only).
•Space stations are used to study the effects of longterm space flight on the human body.
•ISRO needs this facility in the context of its various space missions like interplanetary mission to Venus which is expected to be launched in the next 2-3 years.
Thus, the proposed Indian space station will help to study atmospheric composition of the planet and would be a milestone for the country in its endeavor to advance space exploration.
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