Gaganyaan abort test: Isro reveals how it will be done with help from Navy

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said on Saturday that the space agency will commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission soon.

The abort test of India’s first human spaceflight project is likely to take place later this month. “Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway,” Isro said in a statement.

The Test Vehicle TV-D1 is a single-stage liquid rocket developed for this abort mission. The payloads consist of the Crew Module and Crew Escape Systems.

HOW THE ABORT TEST IS CONDUCTED
The unnamed test launch will be carried out from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The Crew Module, where the astronauts will be seated during the Gaganyaan mission, will separate at an altitude of 17 km.

Subsequently, an abort sequence will be executed autonomously and parachutes will deploy, and the module will splashdown in sea.

The Crew Module will be recovered after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal, using a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy, Isro said.

This flight test is deemed critical for the Gaganyan mission, as they are the key safety feature of the project.

“This Test Vehicle mission with this Crew Module is a significant milestone for the overall Gaganyaan programas 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’s statement reads.

The Crew Module for test launch will be an unpressurised version that has completed its integration and testing and is ready to be shipped to the launch complex, the Isro scientists said. This first abort mission will be followed by the second test vehicle TV-D2 mission and the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (LVM3-G1).

The ambitious Gaganyaan project aims to take a crew of two to three members to a circular orbit of about 400 km around the earth for a one-to-three day mission and bring them back safely to earth.