ISRO proposes to set up Human Space Flight Centre in Challakere:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed a Rs.2,700 crore master plan to create a top infrastructure that will house its young Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC). The HSFC was formally announced in January 2019. It currently works from a temporary place at the ISRO headquarters, Bengaluru, Karnataka. 

HSFC:

ISRO has announced to set up India`s world-class facility for training astronauts in three years at Challakere in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. The announcement was made by K. Sivan, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space. 

After establishing the centre, everything connected with events and planning of the Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP) will be moved to the Challakere campus. It is expected that the 400-acre ISRO land at Challakere will be the single-stop consolidating infrastructure and activities related to space travellers. 

Reason to set up HSFC:

India is currently paying a huge sum to Russia for the training of the first set of four astronaut candidates for the first Gaganyaan mission of 2022. Also, HSP work is split across various centres like Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

ISRO’s astronaut training hub in karnataka: