Chennai, October 25. The first uncrewed test flight of India’s ambitious maiden Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission will be conducted in two months, according to the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan. The mission will carry the half-humanoid robot Vyommitra into a low Earth orbit.
As regards the first human flight mission, Narayanan said it would be announced by the Prime Minister.
Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching three member=crew to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
The Chairman who was the chief guest at the graduation day event of the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) said that the first test flight of Gaganyaan-I (G1) would be uncrewed, using the HLVM3 rocket and the indigenously developed ‘crew module’. The test flight will take place from the spaceport of Sriharikota.
ISRO has been carrying out critical qualification tests ahead of the first test flight to validate all systems. ISRO had completed the second integrated air drop Test (IADT-02) validating the parachute deceleration systems using an Indian Air Force helicopter, besides the crew module-service module separation tests, apex cover separation, and crew module up-righting system.
The pre-requisites for Gaganyaan mission include development of many critical technologies including human rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space; Life support system to provide an earth like environment to crew in space, crew emergency escape provision and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew. It will carry orbital module (OM) – equipped with state-of-the-art avionics systems with adequate redundancy considering human safety – that will be orbiting the earth with the crew module (CM) and service module (SM).
Narayanan stated that ISRO’s target was to launch 50 rockets a year, almost one rocket per week, from 2029-30 for which launch pads are required. “At present we have two launch pads at Sriharikota, from where PSLV and GSLV launches are taking place. Now we have added two more, one is Kulasekarapattinam, which will primarily cater to launch of small satellite launch vehicles, and another one (3rd launch pad) in Sriharikota. Once these four launch pads are ready, we can send 50 rockets per year.”
The well proven and reliable heavy lift launcher of ISRO, the LVM3 rocket, is identified as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission. It consists of solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage. All systems in LVM3 launch vehicle are re-configured to meet human rating requirements and christened Human Rated LVM3. HLVM3 will be capable of launching the orbital module to an intended low earth orbit of 400 km.
