India to launch android into space to test crewed launch capability

India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will send a humanoid robot astronaut into this space this year, then send it back alongside actual humans in 2025 on its long-delayed Gaganyaan orbital mission. According to the space agency, the robot-crewed Vyommitra Mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year. The …

[Rikki Tikki]

"finding such qualified female candidates was tricky, as there are no Air Force fighter test pilots in India

Because all the women pilots are, sensibly, earning more money with commercial airlines?

[Flocke Kroes]

Practical reasons

On average women are lighter so consume less food and oxygen leaving more mass available for equipment. Also women are not as badly affected by long term zero gravity.

[ravenviz]

Re: Practical reasons

leaving more mass available for equipment and are thus more resource efficient for the same brain power than men.

TFTFY.

[Bebu]

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

"Vyommitra" isn't HAL in sanskrit?

In english might be a deity devoted to "sea (or space) sickness" but could be worse as I am not sure I would be entirely comfortable with an android crewwoman called Kali. (Ok gyndroid isn't really a thing yet. :)

HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

Dave: What's the problem?

HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.^*

Parts of the dialogue always inclined me to suspected HAL was more in touch with its feminine side. :) Apparently there was a female version of the HAL-9000 viz SAL-9000 appearing in 2010.

Red Dwarf's much more benign AI system "Holly" was both over the life of the series.

*2001:A Space Odyssey

[Santa from Exeter]

Re: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

Benign? Did you forget Queeg?

[imanidiot]

"mostly manages to stay out of the uncanny valley"

I agree. It's mostly out of the uncanny valley, and straight into the "WTF is that abbysal'