The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a single-stage liquid rocket on Saturday, marking a significant step in the ambitious Gaganyaan human space flight program. This launch will conduct the first crew module test, ensuring the safety of astronauts.
ISRO’s ultimate goal is to send humans into space, placing them in a Low Earth Orbit at 400 kilometres for a three-day Gaganyaan mission and safely returning them to Earth.
This mission, unlike previous ones by the Bengaluru-based space agency, will feature the Test Vehicle (TV-D1), a single-stage liquid rocket, scheduled for liftoff from the first launch pad at 8 am on October 21.
The Test Vehicle mission, equipped with the Crew Module, represents a significant milestone in the broader Gaganyaan program as it integrates nearly all the necessary components for a flight test.
The success of this test flight is pivotal, as it will pave the way for subsequent qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the realisation of the first Gaganyaan program with Indian astronauts, expected in 2025.
The Crew Module System serves as a habitable space with an Earth-like environment for the crew. It has a double-walled construction, featuring a pressurized metallic inner structure and an unpressurized external structure with thermal protection systems. This module houses crew interfaces, life support systems, avionics, and deceleration systems, ensuring the crew’s safety during descent.
Before integration into the launch complex in Sriharikota, located about 135 km east of Chennai, the Crew Module underwent extensive testing at various ISRO facilities.
The entire test flight sequence on Saturday will be relatively brief. The Test Vehicle Abort Mission (TV-D1) will launch the Crew Escape Systems and Crew Module at an altitude of 17 km, making a safe touchdown in the sea, about 10 km from the eastern coast of Sriharikota. The Indian Navy will retrieve them from the Bay of Bengal.
The TV-D1 vehicle uses a modified VIKAS engine with a Crew Module and Crew Escape System mounted at its front. It stands at 34.9 meters tall and has a lift-off weight of 44 tonnes. Its structure is a single-walled unpressurized aluminum structure with a simulated thermal protection system.
The Test Vehicle D1 mission aims to demonstrate an in-flight abort with the Crew Escape System, followed by Crew Module separation and safe recovery. The mission objectives include evaluating test vehicles, crew escape systems, Crew Module characteristics, demonstrating deceleration systems at higher altitudes, and successful recovery.
This campaign is crucial for ensuring the safety of future crew members who will travel in the Crew Module on the Gaganyaan mission using an LVM-3 rocket.
ISRO scientists have planned a series of tests to take place with the launch of the TV-D1 flight program on Saturday, and they are prioritising abort missions as a necessary step before the human space flight program.
The Gaganyaan mission has several prerequisites, including the development of critical technologies such as human-rated launch vehicles for safe crew transport, life support systems providing an Earth-like environment in space, and emergency escape provisions for the crew.
The rocket for the Gaganyaan mission will be a human-rated LVM-3, designed to carry the Orbital Module to a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km. However, for the Test Vehicle Abort Mission 1 (TV-D1), the Crew Module is an unpressurised version, matching the size and weight of the actual Crew Module intended for the Gaganyaan mission. It includes systems for deceleration and recovery, including a set of parachutes.
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