Gaganyaan mission launch date: ISRO prepares for first test flight

Gaganyaan mission launch date: India’s space agency, ISRO, is gearing up for an important milestone in its human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan. On October 21, 2023, ISRO will conduct the first test flight for the mission. The mission will demonstrate the crew escape system’s performance, and it’s set to take place between 7 am and 9 am from Sriharikota spaceport. The actual Gaganyaan mission launch date will be revealed at a later date.

The Gaganyaan project aims to prove India’s capability for human spaceflight. It involves sending a human crew into orbit, 400 kilometers above Earth, and bringing them back safely by landing in the Indian Ocean. The upcoming Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1) is a crucial step in this endeavor. It will test the crew module that will carry Indian astronauts during the actual human spaceflight scheduled for late next year, PTI reported.

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The TV-D1 Test Flight

During the TV-D1 test flight, an unmanned crew module will be launched into space and then safely brought back to Earth, landing in the Bay of Bengal. After this first test flight, ISRO plans to conduct three more test missions, named D2, D3, and D4, to thoroughly examine the system’s capabilities.

The test vehicle used for this mission is a single-stage liquid rocket designed for emergency abort situations. It includes the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape System (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with the CM fairing (CMF) and Interface Adapters.

During the flight, the Crew Escape System and Crew Module will separate at an altitude of around 17 kilometers. After separation, the CES will execute an autonomous sequence, deploying a series of parachutes, ultimately leading to the safe landing of the CM in the sea, approximately 10 kilometers from the Sriharikota coast.

The crew module is a crucial part of the mission, where astronauts will stay in a pressurized, Earth-like atmosphere during the Gaganyaan mission. For the TV-D1 test, the CM is an unpressurized version that has undergone integration and testing. It is equipped with parachutes, recovery systems, and avionics for navigation, telemetry, and instrumentation.

After landing in the Bay of Bengal, a dedicated vessel and a diving team from the Indian Navy will be responsible for recovering the crew module.

The upcoming Gaganyaan mission test flight is a crucial step in this journey, demonstrating the technology and systems necessary to ensure astronauts’ safety during their voyage into space and back to Earth.