The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has embarked on preparations for unmanned flight tests as a pivotal phase of the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, a recent development has revealed. ISRO’s official social media handle recently announced, “Mission Gaganyaan: ISRO to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission. Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway.”
The successful execution of this forthcoming test flight holds immense significance, as it serves as the precursor to subsequent qualification trials and unmanned missions, eventually leading up to the historic launch of the first Gaganyaan mission, featuring Indian astronauts.
FINAL STAGES
The First Crew Module for the Gaganyaan test flight is currently in its final stages of preparation. This specialized Test Vehicle, designed as a single-stage liquid rocket for this abort mission, carries critical payloads, including the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape Systems (CES) equipped with fast-acting solid motors. Additionally, it includes the CM fairing (CMF) and Interface Adapters. The primary objective of this flight is to simulate an abort condition during the ascent trajectory, specifically targeting a Mach number of 1.2, a parameter encountered during the Gaganyaan mission.
CREW MODULE
The Crew Module, designed to house astronauts in a pressurized, Earth-like atmospheric environment during the Gaganyaan mission, has undergone rigorous testing, including an acoustic examination, at ISRO’s Bengaluru facility. Following these tests, it was dispatched to SDSC-SHAR on August 13. This CM variant, unpressurized and closely mimicking the size and mass of the actual Gaganyaan CM, accommodates all necessary systems for deceleration and recovery. This includes an array of parachutes, recovery aids actuation systems, and pyrotechnic devices. The CM’s avionics systems are configured in a dual-redundant mode, ensuring redundancy for navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation, and power. The CM is extensively instrumented to capture flight data for evaluating the performance of various systems. After touchdown, a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy will be employed to recover the Crew Module from the Bay of Bengal.
The final stages of preparation for the First Development Flight Test Vehicle (TV-D1) are currently underway, marking a significant milestone in the Gaganyaan program. This test vehicle, equipped with the CM and CES, will simulate an abort condition at an altitude of approximately 17 km. Subsequently, the abort sequence will be autonomously executed, starting with the separation of CES and the deployment of a series of parachutes, culminating in the safe landing of the CM in the sea, approximately 10 km off the coast of Sriharikota.
At SDSC-SHAR, the CM will undergo vibration tests and pre-integration with the Crew Escape System before final integration onto the Test Vehicle at the Launch Pad. The successful completion of this pivotal test flight is expected to set the stage for further qualification tests and unmanned missions, ultimately leading to the historic launch of the first Gaganyaan mission, with Indian astronauts at the helm.