ISRO Gaganyaan Mission Update: First Abort Test Scheduled For December

ISRO Gaganyaan mission is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the Indian premier space agency. The mission involves sending Indian astronauts to space for a round trip, which would open doors to Indian space travel. The upcoming Gaganyaan mission could begin testing soon.

ISRO Gaganyaan Mission Tests

The Gaganyaan mission will be India's first manned space mission that's scheduled to lift off next year, 2023. Ahead of the launch, ISRO has set a date for the first abort test, which will take place at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.

The Gaganyaan mission's abort test is scheduled for December, said ISRO Chairman S. Somanath at the Human Space Flight Expo in Bengaluru. The crew abort system with a higher capacity will be revised, the chairman said. "We are planning a test using a special test vehicle. It is going to be flagged off to Sriharikota soon, maybe in one or two days," he told the media.

ISRO Gaganyaan Abort Test Explained

The abort test is a crucial element when it comes to manned space flights. The first abort test is designed to separate the crew module from the special test vehicle at an altitude of about 11km from sea level. It would then get to a height of nearly 15 km and then plummet into the Bay of Bengal.

The Gaganyaan abort test is a crucial part of the entire project. It would ensure that the astronauts land safely back on Earth. Next, ISRO will test the abort mission with a crew module or crew capsule. This is where the astronauts will be controlling the launch vehicle, another crucial part of the Gaganyaan mission.

"We have to integrate the crew module and test it. This year, we want to do that launch, aborting, and demonstrate how the crew can be saved. A little more work is required for the crew module," Somanath said.

The Gaganyaan pressurized crew module with human service capability called the environmental life support system is under development. "An integrated computer for this Onboard Launch Vehicle Health Management System has just been made. Now, a lot of algorithms have to be fed into it and simulations conducted," Somanath said. Most of these would take shape by next year.