India is preparing for a historic moment in December as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to send its first humanoid robot, Vyommitra, into space. The semi-humanoid will take part in an uncrewed test flight before astronauts embark on India’s maiden human space mission under the Gaganyaan programme.
What is Vyommitra and what does the name mean?
Vyommitra is a human-like robot developed by ISRO to serve astronauts during manned space missions. The name comes from Sanskrit, with “Vyoma” meaning space and “Mitra” meaning friend — together, “friend in space”. Unveiled in early 2020, Vyommitra has a human-like face, voice, and expressions. The robot can communicate, operate control panels, and respond to commands in English and Hindi.
ISRO developed Vyommitra to simulate human presence and behaviour in space, helping scientists test spacecraft systems before sending astronauts on board. Vyommitra has sensors, voice recognition software, and limited decision-making capabilities to perform technical and communication tasks on its own.
What will Vyommitra do aboard the Gaganyaan mission?
Vyommitra will fly on ISRO’s first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, ahead of the crewed flight expected in 2027. During the mission, Vyommitra will operate control panels, monitor the cabin environment, and send real-time data to ISRO’s control centre. It will track temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels inside the spacecraft and report system status updates.
The humanoid is also programmed to imitate human movements and physiological responses. This helps scientists analyse how spacecraft systems behave under human-like conditions in microgravity. Vyommitra's interaction with the in-orbit infrastructure will be critical in maintaining the safety and reliability of astronauts in the future, referred to as 'vyomanauts'.
How does Vyommitra work and what lies ahead?
Vyommitra combines mechanical precision with artificial intelligence. It can recognise speech, move its limbs, and identify instruments using vision-based technology. The robot can also make simple decisions and carry out programmed tasks without human input. Such semi-autonomous architecture will be helpful on long-duration missions when real-time communication with Earth is not feasible.
According to ISRO Chief V. Narayanan, the Vyommitra project has reached an advanced stage. The first uncrewed flight will carry the robot later this year, followed by two more test missions in 2026. If these missions succeed, India plans to send its astronauts into low-Earth orbit by early 2027.
Vyommitra represents more than an experiment. It marks India’s step towards developing human-rated spacecraft and intelligent robotic systems. In the future, its technology could support astronauts in performing maintenance or research tasks in space or even assist future missions to the Moon and beyond.
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