ISRO is gearing up for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission, a crucial component of the Gaganyaan human space mission, scheduled between 7 am and 9 am this Saturday. The Test Vehicle, a single-stage liquid rocket designed for this abort mission, will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory. Crew escape systems, along with crude modules, will be detached from the test vehicle at an altitude of approximately 17 km. The autonomous abort sequence will unfold, involving the separation of crew escape systems and the deployment of parachutes, ultimately leading to the safe touchdown of the crew module in the sea, approximately 10 km from Sriharikota’s coast.
This test marks a significant milestone for the Gaganyaan program, as it integrates a near-complete system for a flight test. The success of this test flight will pave the way for remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, ultimately leading to India’s first manned spaceflight mission with astronauts. ISRO Chief S Somanath has indicated that there will be at least three more tests of a similar nature in the coming days.
The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission and safely bringing them back to Earth, with a landing in Indian sea waters. If successful, India will become the fourth nation to accomplish a manned spaceflight mission, following the US, Russia, and China.
In recent space achievements, India achieved the historic feat of a successful landing on the moon’s South Pole with the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on August 23. Following this, India launched its inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, on September 2, which has undergone successful earth-bound manoeuvres and trajectory correction manoeuvres as it progresses toward its intended path.
