India’s space agency, ISRO, has initiated preparations for testing the crew module of its ambitious manned space mission, Gaganyaan. The crew module is designed to contain astronauts in a pressurized earth-like atmosphere. ISRO has prepared a test version of the crew module, primarily to evaluate its abort systems. This unpressurized module closely resembles the actual Gaganyaan crew module in size and mass. It houses systems for deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, and avionics in a dual redundant mode configuration. The module will be extensively instrumented to record flight data for performance evaluation.
After the test, the crew module will be recovered from the Bay of Bengal using a dedicated vessel and a diving team from the Indian Navy. ISRO is preparing to ship the test module to the launch complex. The test flight will simulate an abort condition during ascent, corresponding to the Mach 1.2 speed experienced in the Gaganyaan mission. The crew escape systems will separate from the test vehicle at an altitude of about 17 kilometers, followed by autonomous execution of the abort sequence, including parachute deployment and safe touchdown in the sea, approximately 10 kilometers from Sriharikota’s coast.
The success of this test flight will pave the way for further qualification tests and unmanned missions, bringing India closer to its goal of launching a manned mission into space.
