New Delhi: India is ready to make history this December. The Indian Space Research Organisation will send its first humanoid robot to space. Vyommitra will test spacecraft systems and prepare the way for India’s first astronauts.
Vyommitra is India’s first humanoid robot. She has human-like speech, expressions and intelligence. She forms the core of Gaganyaan, India’s maiden human spaceflight programme.
The name Vyommitra comes from Sanskrit. “Vyoma” means space and “Mitra” means friend. Vyommitra is literally a “friend in space”. She is an intelligent companion for astronauts. She can handle mechanical tasks and communicate with mission control aboard India’s crewed spacecraft.
Vyommitra is not a simple test dummy. She is a semi-humanoid robot. She carries advanced sensors, voice recognition systems and decision-making algorithms. Her mission is to replicate human functions in space. She validates crew module systems before astronauts travel.
On the Gaganyaan mission, Vyommitra will operate control panels and relay information to the ground station, monitor cabin temperature, humidity and oxygen levels, perform system checks and switch operations, deliver real-time status updates and mimic human physiological responses using sensors.
Vyommitra’s natural interaction helps ground teams study onboard systems. She ensures safety and reliability for future human space missions.
Her design combines functionality and familiarity. Vyommitra can recognise and respond to speech in English and Hindi, emulate human gestures, including head and limb movements, identify control panels with vision-based technology and execute programmed tasks autonomously or with mission control.
Her AI module allows limited decision-making. She can mimic human responses to routine events or anomalies. This autonomy is vital for deep-space missions, where communication delays may occur.
ISRO Chief V Narayanan recently confirmed the project’s progress. “This December, we plan to send the first uncrewed mission with Vyommitra instead of a human. Next year, two more uncrewed missions will follow,” he said.
India aims to send astronauts by the first quarter of 2027.
Vyommitra represents India’s leap into human-rated space technology. She bridges robotics, AI and spaceflight. Her systems could expand into satellites, planetary rovers or lunar habitats. She could assist astronauts in maintenance and research tasks in microgravity.
