The crew module for the Gaganyaan test flight/ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to commence unmanned flight tests in the run-up to its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.
The space agency said the crew module (CM) for the mission is in different stages of development and the test vehicle for the first Test Vehicle Abort Mission (TV-D1) – set to be conducted in late October – is in the final stages of preparation.
TV-D1 will demonstrate the performance of the Crew Escape System (CES). The CM carries the astronauts in a pressurised, earth-like atmospheric condition during the mission. Isro will conduct TV-D1 with an unpressurised version of the module that will be separated from the vehicle mid-flight, at a height of about 17 km. The CM has been integrated, tested and is ready to be shipped to the launch complex.
Matching the size and mass of the actual Gaganyaan CM, this unmanned version houses all the systems for the deceleration and recovery, parachutes, and recovery aids actuation systems.
The CM has been designed to capture the flight data for evaluation of the performance of various systems. After the touchdown, it will be recovered in the Bay of Bengal, using a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy, Isro said.
The test vehicle for the abort mission is a single-stage liquid rocket. The payloads consist of the CM and CES with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing and interface adapters.
Simulation, separation, touchdown
In a simulated abort condition, the CES with CM 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 CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10 km from the coast of Sriharikota,” Isro said.
After integration, the CM underwent different stages of electrical testing at Isro’s Bengaluru facility. The module was dispatched to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), in Sriharikota, on August 13.
At the SDSC, the CM will undergo vibration tests and pre-integration with the CES before it is integrated into the test vehicle. Isro said TV-D1 with the CM would be a “significant milestone” for the mission.
“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,” it said.