Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has identified four persons from the Indian Air Force, who will be trained to become astronauts for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
Many of Gaganyaan's systems are yet to be tested, ISRO chief K Sivan said, adding, the crew training would be a major activity in 2020. He was interacting with reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Gaganyaan is a crewed orbital spacecraft that will send astronauts to space for at least seven days by 2022. It is a part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
In December, a senior IAF officer said that the air force had shortlisted 12 persons as 'Gagan Yatris' (astronauts) for the Gaganyaan project, of which seven have gone to Russia for training.
The rest of the selected people would be sent once the batch of seven returns from Russia, the officer had said.
Sivan also said India's next moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, had been approved, and would mostly be launched next year.
"The land acquisition for a second space port has been initiated and the port will be in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu," the ISRO chief said during a press conference.