Gaganyaan's first test flight on October 21: Know timings, significance
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the first test flight of the Gaganyaan mission is set for Saturday (October 21) between 7:00am and 9:00am IST. This exciting development marks a major step forward in India's first-ever crewed space mission, Gaganyaan, which will eventually send Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit. Launching from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota, the Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) will test the module that will house astronauts during the mission.
Crew Module and Crew Escape System to be tested
"The Test Vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket," per ISRO, with its payloads being the crew module (CM) and crew escape system (CES). The CM will provide astronauts with a pressurized, Earth-like atmosphere during the Gaganyaan mission. However, the CM's unpressurized version, which has already undergone integration and testing, will be used for upcoming test flight. "The CM in this mission is extensively instrumented to capture the flight data for evaluation of the performance of various systems," said ISRO.
Test flight will simulate abort condition
TV-D1 will simulate an "abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 encountered in the Gaganyaan mission," said ISRO. "CES with CM will be separated from the Test Vehicle at an altitude of about 17km. Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10km from the coast of Sriharikota."
Crew module to be recovered by Indian Navy
To summarize, the upcoming TV-D1 test flight will send the crew module to outer space and return it to Earth with a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal. Post-touchdown, the module will be recovered by a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy. Meanwhile, two essential systems for the Gaganyaan mission, namely the cabin systems and communication systems, are being developed by ISRO's Ahmedabad facility.
Why upcoming test flight is crucial
The TV-D1's success will lead to additional qualification tests and uncrewed missions before the first crewed Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts is launched. That mission will take a three-member crew into a 400km orbit for three days and return them to Earth, splashing down in Indian sea waters. Four astronauts have been chosen for the mission and are currently training at the Astronaut Training Facility, Bengaluru. Before the crewed mission, a test flight carrying a robot called "Vyommitra" is planned.
