ISRO Humanoid Robot ‘Vyommitra’ to Star in India’s Historic Gaganyaan Space Mission
ISRO is poised to make history with the upcoming uncrewed Gaganyaan mission in December 2025, and at the heart of this mission is Vyommitra—India’s first spacefaring humanoid robot. Developed as a female-presenting, semi-humanoid AI, Vyommitra will serve as the centrepiece for a critical series of test flights that pave the way for India’s first attempt at sending astronauts into orbit by early 2027.
Her primary roles include simulating human physiological responses in space, operating spacecraft control panels, and monitoring essential parameters like temperature, humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels throughout the mission. Vyommitra’s design is both advanced and symbolic. Constructed mainly from high-strength aluminium alloy and titanium, she is built to endure the high-pressure, high-vibration demands of launch and space travel.
Her sensory system is powered by an array of environmental sensors tailored for intricate tasks: from activating spacecraft switches to communicating with ground stations in real time. Vyommitra can recognise speech, move her limbs with mechanical precision, and make simple decisions independently—crucial qualities for scenarios where communication delays with Earth are expected. Bilingual and equipped to respond in Hindi and English, she exemplifies user-friendly, context-aware robotics engineered for human collaboration in space.
Her mission in December is to act as a surrogate astronaut, providing ISRO with valuable data by mimicking human reactions in zero gravity and validating the safety of onboard systems. Vyommitra’s feedback will help engineers finalise environmental controls, emergency systems, and life-support mechanisms before actual Indian astronauts—informally called “vyomanauts”—undertake their historic journey. The Gaganyaan project’s success will mark not just a leap in Indian human spaceflight capability but will also showcase the nation’s indigenous advancements in robotics, AI, and aerospace engineering.
Vyommitra’s development is almost complete, with the Central Tool Room and Training Centre in Bhubaneswar playing a major role in manufacturing her sophisticated structure. Her deployment won’t end with Gaganyaan—her underlying technology is expected to enable future lunar, planetary, and satellite missions, and could one day see her assisting astronauts with complex operations in deep space.
As anticipation builds and STEM Education India edges closer to human spaceflight, Vyommitra stands as an inspiring symbol of scientific progress, inclusivity, and the promise of Indian talent on the global stage.
