The Indian Space Research Organisation's four Gaganyaan astronaut-designates have completed Mission MITRA, an intensive high-altitude training exercise conducted at Leh, Ladakh at an elevation of 3,500 metres between April 2-9, 2026. The exercise tested the crew's physiological and psychological performance under extreme cold and low-oxygen conditions.
Mission MITRA focused on evaluating team interoperability between the four astronaut-designates and ground control operations. The training scenario simulated conditions that approximate aspects of space travel, including oxygen-deprived environments and extreme temperature variations. The astronauts underwent rigorous physical assessments, communication protocol drills, and emergency response simulations.
ISRO's Gaganyaan programme aims to send Indian astronauts to Low Earth Orbit aboard an indigenous spacecraft. The astronaut-designates, who have been undergoing training at multiple facilities including the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, are now entering the final phase of mission preparation.
The Ladakh exercise is part of a comprehensive training regimen that also includes underwater survival training, centrifuge testing for G-force tolerance, and parabolic flight experience for microgravity familiarisation. ISRO officials stated that Mission MITRA data will help fine-tune crew selection protocols and in-flight medical monitoring systems for the Gaganyaan mission.