ISRO Testing Crew Abort System For Gaganyaan Mission

ISRO is gearing up for the Gaganyaan mission, India's human space flight program. The Indian Space Research Organisation is testing a new liquid propellent rocket system, designed especially for the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, said S. Somanath, the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.

The Gaganyaan mission is slated to take off in 2022 and will have a three-member crew. The manned space mission was announced right after ISRO announced the Chandrayaan-2 lunar exploration. There are many firsts set to take place in the Gaganyaan mission, like the first fully made-in-India space mission.

ISRO Gaganyaan Crew Abort System

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The latest test relates to the crew abort mission, an important aspect for any manned space ventures. The crew abort system involves a capsule with the astronauts that quickly eject and separate from the main rocket body in case of uncertain emergencies. ISRO plans to conduct four crew abort tests before Gaganyaan takes off.

Going into further detail, Somanath also said that the three-man crew capsule is entering the design phase and the space agency is considering various collaborations. The manufacturing models for the pressurized crew module were being studied and considered, he added while speaking at the International Astronautical Congress, in Washington DC.

ISRO Gaganyaan Mission

ISRO Gaganyaan mission is one of the most ambitious missions the space agency has taken up. In another report, the first level of selection of the Indian astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission has been completed. The Gaganyaan mission marks India's debut in the human space flight program and the project is worth Rs. 10,000 crores.

The Institute of Aerospace Medicine has selected pilots who underwent extensive physical exercise tests, lab investigations, radiological tests, clinical tests, psychological evaluation, and more, the Indian Air Force said, who conducted the selection process in Bengaluru.

Earlier, the mission was set to launch by the end of 2020, which was again pushed to early 2021. The Gaganyaan mission has now been scheduled to launch in 2022. With all the preparations falling into place, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan says that the agency is capable of achieving the mission in the given time frame.