Isro conducts test flight for Gaganyaan mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Saturday successfully completed the launch and recovery of a test vehicle carrying the crew module for the Gaganyaan mission, accomplishing a key milestone for the country's first human space flight project.

- Soumya Pillai

For the test, scientists simulated an abort situation for the Crew Escape System to carry the crew module out of the first test vehicle development flight (TV-DI), the space agency said in a statement.

"Mission Gaganyaan: TV-D1 Test Flight is accomplished. Crew Escape System performed as intended. Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note," Isro said.

The test essentially involved launching the empty crew module and creating an emergency situation to test that in the event of an actual contingency, the module is capable of removing itself effectively and landing safely into the sea, from where it can be recovered.

Saturday's test was the first of many that the agency will perform as it prepares for a manned mission to space around 2025, agency chief S Somanath said.

"I am very happy to announce the successful accomplishment of the TV-D1 mission... The vehicle has gone up to a Mach number, which is slightly above the speed of sound and initiated an abort condition for the crew escape to function," Somanath said. Mach 1 is equal to about 1,200 km per hour.

The agency is aiming for a launch window in the first half of 2024 for the unmanned flight under the mission, Somanath said.

The Gaganyaan mission is aimed at developing a human habitable space capsule that will carry a three-member crew into an orbit of 400km for three days, before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.