ISRO’s Exploration Galore: Chandrayaan-3, Aditya L-1, Gaganyaan and…Samudrayaan

By R Anil Kumar

• Samudrayaan, or the deep ocean mission, was initiated in 2021. The mission entails undertaking a crewed expedition to reach a depth of 6,000 meters to the ocean bed in the central Indian Ocean using Matsya6000, designed to accommodate a crew of three members

• ISRO’s expertise in advanced materials and engineering is proving invaluable in developing key components for Samudrayaan mission’s submersible, Matsya-6000.

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a key ISRO facility, had to significantly advance its machinery

• ISRO’s expertise lies in welding rocket materials

• The demands of the Samudrayaan mission pushed ISRO to expand its scope

Bengaluru, October 10. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is progressing with the Gaganyaan mission to send Indians into space, is also working on India’s first manned deep sea mission, Samudrayaan.

After the successful projects of ISRO’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 and the solar mission Aditya-1, India is now geared up to launch the country’s first manned deep ocean mission ‘Samudrayaan’.

Here is a look into its key features, cost, launch date, objectives, and significance.

ISRO’s expertise in advanced materials and engineering is proving invaluable in developing key components for the mission’s submersible, Matsya-6000.At the heart of ISRO’s contribution is the construction of the personnel sphere, a critical module that will house the crew, life support systems, controls, and electronics.

SAMUDRAYAAN’S PERSONNEL SPHERE

The personnel sphere, crafted from titanium with an impressive thickness of 80 mm, presents unique challenges that only ISRO’s advanced capabilities could meet.

Dr.Sethuraman Ramesh, Scientist-in-Charge of the deep-sea mission,has highlighted the technological leap required to weld such a thick structure, noting that no other organisation in India possesses this capability.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a key ISRO facility, had to significantly advance its machinery and techniques to handle this task.

Typically, ISRO’s expertise lies in welding materials ranging from 4 to 10 millimeters thick for rocket components. The demands of the Samudrayaan mission pushed ISRO to expand its capabilities, showcasing the organisation’s adaptability and technological prowess.

TO BE TESTED IN RUSSIA

The personnel sphere is being designed to withstand extreme pressures of up to 600 bars at depths of 6,000 meters below sea level.

Due to the lack of suitable testing facilities in India, the sphere will undergo rigorous testing in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where it will be subjected to pressures of 720 bars to ensure its structural integrity.

VSSC is expected to deliver the completed sphere to the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), which is leading the Samudrayaan mission, within the next couple of months. This handover will mark a significant milestone in the project’s progress.

The sphere’s development adheres to international codes and regulations and will be certified by DNV, a Norwegian maritime agency, as India currently lacks a certifying body for such specialised equipment.

This collaboration between ISRO and NIOT exemplifies India’s growing capabilities in both space and deep sea exploration.

The Samudrayaan mission, when successful, will place India among an elite group of nations capable of manned deep sea exploration, joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, France, Japan, and China.

SAMUDRAYAAN MISSION

Samudrayaan Mission is aimed to develop a self propelled manned submersible to carry 3 human beings to a water depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration. It has an endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency.

The manned submersible will allow scientific personnel to observe and understand unexplored deep-sea areas by direct interventions. Further, it will enhance the capability for deep sea man rated vehicle development.

The projected timeline is five years for the period 2020-2021 to 2025-2026.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, an autonomous institute under MoES, has developed 6000m depth rated Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and various other underwater instruments such as Autonomous Coring System (ACS), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and Deep-Sea Mining System (DSM) for the exploration of deep sea.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched India’s first manned ocean mission “Samudrayaan” in Chennai.

With this Unique Ocean Mission, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities.

KEY POINTS

About:

It is India’s first unique manned ocean mission that aims to send men into the deep sea in a submersible vehicle for deep-ocean exploration and mining of rare minerals.

It will send three persons in a manned submersible vehicle MATSYA 6000 to a depth of 6000 metres (6 Kms) into the sea for deep underwater studies.

Submarinesgo only about 200 metres.

It is a part of the Rs 6000-crores Deep Ocean Mission.

Deep Ocean Mission

It was approved in June 2021 by the (MoES) and aims to explore the deep ocean for resources, develop deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources, and support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Indian Government.

The cost of the Mission has been estimated at Rs. 4,077 crore over a five-year period and will be implemented in phases.

MATSYA 6000:

It is an indigenously developed manned submersible vehicle.

It will facilitate the MoES in conducting deep ocean exploration of resources such as gas hydrates, polymetallic manganese nodules, hydro-thermal sulphides, and cobalt crusts which are located at an approximate depth between 1000 and 5500 metres.

Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are mineral concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.

Significance:

This will open up more growth avenues to explore ocean resources for clean energy, drinking water, and blue economy.

Developed countries have already carried out similar ocean missions. India is the 1^st country among the developing nations to carry out a deep ocean mission.