ISRO successfully tests Gaganyaan's Service Module Propulsion System
Gaganyaan, which will be India's first crewed space mission, is picking up pace. In the latest, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out the testing of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS). The experimentation was performed on Wednesday at ISRO's Propulsion Research Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, according to the official tweet that came out today.
Why does this story matter?
With all going well with Chandrayaan-3, ISRO is now looking forward to its next big mission, Gaganyaan. Earlier, ISRO Chairman S Somnath said the agency wants to ensure it is a 'sure shot safe mission.' If successful, Gaganyaan would make India only the fourth nation to have sent humans to space, marking a momentous milestone for the Indian space sector.
Take a look at the testing of the Gaganyaan mission
Service module caters to the needs of the orbital module
The service module of Gaganyaan will cater to the requirements of the Orbital Module (OM) while the mission will be in orbit around Earth. According to ISRO's official blog, the service module is an unpressurized structure that contains a thermal system, propulsion system, power systems, avionics systems, and deployment mechanisms. The OM will also comprise the Crew Module (CM) to house the astronauts.
Here's what the test was about
The test that was carried out at IPRC involved five liquid apogee motor (LAM) engines that can produce a thrust of 440N and 16 reaction control system (RCS) thrusters with a capacity of 100N. The LAM engines are responsible for providing the propulsive force during the mission's ascent phase, while the RCS thrusters help with precise altitude correction.
SMPS has successfully demonstrated its performance in the full configuration
The hot test mimicked the fluid circuit of the SMPS, which comprises the propellant tank feed system, helium pressurization system, flight-qualified thrusters, and control components. With the trial, the SMPS has successfully demonstrated its performance in the full configuration. Up next, ISRO wants to conduct five additional tests to demonstrate nominal and off-nominal mission scenarios, reinforcing the rigor of testing, per The Hindu.
Gaganyaan has been subjected to crucial testing in past months
In the past months, we have seen ISRO carrying out a couple of other crucial tests as well. In March, the space agency carried out testing on the parachute system to be used on the Gaganyaan mission. The month before that, recovery trials of the Crew Module were performed at the Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) in Kochi.
When will Gaganyaan launch?
Gaganyaan will take three astronauts to the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) for three days and will bring them back to Earth with a splashdown in Indian waters. The mission will launch aboard the LVM3 rocket (Launch Vehicle Mark 3). If the current plans hold, then we can see the crewed expedition take off sometime between 2024 and 2025.
