ISRO is gearing up for preliminary test flights in preparation for the Gaganyaan mission, scheduled to commence on October 21. The first test, known as the Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1), will be conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This critical phase aims to assess the crew module designated for the upcoming Indian astronaut mission, slated for the following year.
The evaluation will involve launching the module into space, ensuring its safe return to Earth, and executing a successful recovery in the Bay of Bengal. Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized that the Navy has initiated practice operations for the module’s recovery, acknowledging ISRO engineers who contributed to the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1 missions.
In addition to the crew module, TV-D1 will also scrutinize the “crew escape” system, designed to ensure astronauts’ safe return in case of issues during their space ascent.
The success of this test will lay the foundation for the first unmanned “Gaganyaan” mission and, ultimately, a manned mission to low-earth orbit, as Minister Singh reaffirmed. He also revealed plans for a test flight in the following year, featuring “Vyommitra,” a female robot astronaut, preceding the ultimate manned “Gaganyaan” mission.
The primary goal of the Gaganyaan project is to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capabilities by launching a crew into a 400 km orbit and safely returning them to Earth by landing in the Indian Sea.
The project’s success relies on a systematic approach that leverages India’s internal expertise, the industrial sector’s experience, academic and research institutions’ intellectual resources, and advanced technologies available through international collaborations.
