ISRO has finalized the design of a humanoid skull for testing spaceflight conditions and safety of the Gaganyaan crew module ahead of the Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2025.
Features of the Skull Design
- The humanoid’s skull is designed at ISRO’s Thiruvananthapuram unit
- It is made from a high-strength aluminum alloy to endure pressure and vibration.
- 3D Printing Manufacturing: Additive manufacturing or 3D printing using metals was opted to make the design.
- 3D printing approach allowed for the reduction in weight by 20 percent of the skull.
- Design: The skull was designed using Blender, an open source software, replicating the size and shape of a human head and the Altair Inspire and Abaqus software were used for precisely designing the skull
- Human Characteristics: The skull is covered with a prosthetic material mimicking the human skin and houses the facial actuation mechanisms to simulate human expressions and functions.
- Strength: The skull incorporates a lattice structure allowing for the required strength and rigidity to withstand the vibrations experienced during launch, while minimising weight as much as possible.

About Vyomitra

- Vyommitra, is a female humanoid half-robot that has been specifically designed for unmanned test missions preceding the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
- Vyomitra is a half-humanoid robot due to the absence of legs, it possesses the ability to bend forward and sideways.
- It is created by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and derives its name from the Sanskrit words Vyoma (meaning “Space”) and Mitra (meaning “Friend”).
- Launch: The uncrewed ‘VyomMitra’ mission is scheduled to be launched in the year 2025
- Characteristics:
- Humane Features: Vyomitra will carry facial expressions, speech capabilities, and sight functions.
- Monitoring the Mission: It will monitor crew parameters, perform Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) functions, and mimic all crew activity like switch operations on a panel, etc.
- Response Function: Vyomitra will serve as a companion for the astronaut, recognize his face and respond to various queries.
- Data Collection: Vyomitra will record parameters like heat, noise, gravitational de-acceleration etc through various sensors and instrumentation present inside during the space flight, to enable scientists to make future space flight more safer for humans.
- Its AI-enabled design, allowing it to withstand vibrations and shocks during flight.
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Gaganyaan Mission
- The project is for ISRO to demonstrate its human spaceflight capability
- Orbital Crew: A crew of 3 members will be launched to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
- Pre -requisite Technologies: The Gaganyaan mission includes development of many critical technologies like,
- Human rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space; Life Support System to provide an earth like environment to crew in space; crew emergency escape provision; crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew.
- Launch Vehicle: Human Rated LVM3 (HLVM3) will launch the Orbital Module to an intended Low Earth Orbit of 400 km.
- HLVM3 consists of Crew Escape System (CES) powered by a set of quick acting, high burn rate solid motors
- Demonstrator Missions: It include Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT) and Test Vehicle (TV) flights

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