ISRO Prepares for Gaganyaan Flight

Tirupati: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct an unmanned flight test for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission on Saturday to demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system.

The test will be held between 7 am and 9 am on October 21 at the Sriharikota spaceport and the capsule will be recovered from the Bay of Bengal.

Isro chairman S. Somanath said three more test vehicle missions would be launched after the one on Saturday.

The Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) is meant to test the performance of the crew escape system.

The crew module (CM) is where astronauts are housed in a pressurised, earth-like atmospheric condition during their space flight. The CM, currently in various stages of development, is an unpressurized version specifically designed for TV-D1.

On Saturday, the module will be launched atop a single-stage rocket. When it reaches 17 km, the mission will be ‘aborted’ and the module will separate from the rocket.

“Subsequently, an autonomous abort sequence will be executed, including the separation of the crew escape systems and deployment of a series of parachutes, leading to the safe landing of the module in the sea, approximately 10 km from the coast of Sriharikota,” Isro said.

During this flight, TV-D1 will simulate an abort condition during the ascent trajectory, mirroring the conditions that could be experienced in the Gaganyaan mission.

Isro said the CM contained essential systems for deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, actuation systems and pyrotechnics. Its avionics systems have dual redundancy for navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation, and power.

It's equipped with extensive instrumentation for collecting flight data. The CM will be retrieved from the Bay of Bengal using a dedicated vessel and an Indian Navy diving team after landing.

The Gaganyaan project envisions showcasing human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into an orbit of 400km for a three-day mission and ensuring their safe return to earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

As part of the Gaganyaan mission, four astronauts are currently undergoing crew training and mission-specific training at the astronaut training facility in Bengaluru, covering various aspects of spaceflight.