India's Gaganyaan mission roadmap and launch imminent, says ISRO official
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Bengaluru: India, having achieved success with the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions, is now setting its sights on human space exploration.
P. Veeramuthuvel, the project director for Chandrayaan-3, shared insights into the Gaganyaan mission, stating that a well-defined roadmap is in place, and the launch is approaching.
During an event, Veeramuthuvel emphasised the significance of mastering soft landing technology, which India has achieved, making it the fourth country globally to do so. This accomplishment is a crucial precursor to human space exploration. He affirmed that the Gaganyaan program, aimed at human exploration, is in progress, with a clearly defined plan, and the launch date will be announced soon.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has initiated preparations for unmanned flight tests as part of the Gaganyaan mission.
ISRO shared the news on its official social media platform, stating that preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) are underway. This mission will demonstrate the Crew Escape System's performance, and its success will pave the way for subsequent qualification tests and unmanned missions, ultimately leading to the first Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts.
ISRO also revealed that the First Crew Module for the Gaganyaan test flight, known as the development flight Test Vehicle (TV-D1), is in its final stages of preparation. While the rocket itself will be constructed elsewhere, all internal systems for Gaganyaan will be developed in Ahmedabad. The facility in Ahmedabad will be responsible for building two critical systems for the Gaganyaan mission: the cabin systems and communication systems.
The cabin systems will include seating for three astronauts, a lighting system, and two display screens for monitoring various parameters within the cabin.
Gaganyaan, India's inaugural manned space mission, aims to send three astronauts into an orbit 400 kilometres above the Earth's surface, marking a significant milestone in India's space exploration endeavours.