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HomeOther'sPublic Interest“Gaganyaan” astronauts to feast on Idli, Moongdal Halwa in space

“Gaganyaan” astronauts to feast on Idli, Moongdal Halwa in space

The Defense Research and Development Organization has made sure that astronauts don’t miss the authentic Indian food when they are in space. “Gaganyaan”, India’s first manned space mission will provide astronauts an array of packed Indian dishes.

The menu includes food items like veg kathi rolls, egg rolls, instant idly sambar, upma and vegetable pulao. Along with this, the Defense Food Research Laboratory has developed a food heater as well, solely for its use in space by astronauts.

According to news agency ANI, the packaged food items for Mission Gaganyaan – scheduled to take off before 2022 – will include veg rolls, egg rolls, moong dal halwa, idli sambar and upma, among other things.

Moreover, special drinking containers will be provided to allow the spacemen to consume fluids like water and juices in the no-gravity region. These are created exclusively for the Gaganyaan mission.

According to the Mysore-based laboratory, stainless steel utensils and special waste bins are going to be allotted for the use of astronauts.

“Apart from the food, we are also tasked with providing food-warmer technology, stainless steel cutlery and a waste disposal pack,” Defence Food Research Laboratory director Anil Semwal told Times of India.

The launch of the Gaganyaan is scheduled to take place before the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence in 2022 with three people on the spaceship. This mission holds major significance to India as it will become the fourth country after Russia, US and China to launch a manned spacecraft.

Last week, ISRO chief K Sivan said that four astronauts have been selected for training that will begin in the third week of January in Russia.

The mission was speculated to be halted due to the pandemic but the Centre said that preparations are underway and they’ve resumed it.

“Even though the training of four Indian astronauts in Russia had to be halted because of the covid-19 pandemic, the opinion of the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the scientific team is that there was a ‘cushion’ both in the training program and launch deadline,” said Jitendra Singh, the Union minister of state, atomic energy and space.

“The training of astronauts has now been resumed, and the launch is scheduled to take place as planned, before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022,” he further said.

The first unmanned flight, as part of the same mission, was told to be postponed to 2021 blaming the virus. The flight was originally planned to take off later this year.

A senior Isro scientist had said earlier in June, “As per the plans being given to us, the Gaganyaan unmanned flight is not on this year’s schedule which focuses on other satellite launches.”