ISRO is all set for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort
Mission, a key part of its ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan, between 7
am and 9 am on October 21, confirmed the space agency through a post on X on
Monday.
The Test Vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket
developed for this abort mission. The payloads consist of the crew module (CM)
and crew escape systems (CES), along with others.
This flight will simulate the abort condition during
the ascent trajectory. Crew escape systems with crude modules will be separated
from the test vehicle at an altitude of about 17 km.
Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed
autonomously commencing with the separation of crew escape systems and
deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe
touchdown of crew module in the sea, about 10 km from the coast of Sriharikota.
The crew module after its integration progress
underwent various electrical testing, at ISRO’s facility in Bengaluru, and has
been dispatched to Sriharikota on August 13.
This test will be a significant milestone for the
overall Gaganyaan programme as a near-complete system is integrated for a
flight test.
The success of this test flight will set the stage for
the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first
Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts.
ISRO Chief S Somanath said there would be at least
three more tests of the same nature in the coming days.
Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human
spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km
for a 3-day mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in
Indian sea waters.
This program will make Bharat the fourth nation to
launch a manned spaceflight mission after US, Russia and China.
The Gaganyaan mission entails the safe transportation
of astronauts to space and back. A crucial component of this mission is the
deployment of drogue parachutes, which play a pivotal role in stabilizing the
crew module and reducing its velocity to a safe level during re-entry.
On August 23, Bharat took a giant leap as the
Chandrayaan 3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole,
making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to
an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan 2, four
years ago.
Bharat became the fourth country after US, China and
Russia to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface.
After having landed, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan
rover performed different sets of tasks on the lunar surface, including finding
the presence of sulphur and other minor elements, recording relative
temperature, and listening to movements around it.
ANI
