Second Test Vehicle For Gaganyaan Mission Ready, Says ISRO Chief

After the launch of the first test vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission in October 2023, ISRO chief S Somanath said the second one is also ready. Second test vehicle for Gaganyaan mission ready, awaiting transport to Sriharikota. Additional tests, including parachute validation and astronaut training, ongoing. First test vehicle was successfully launched in October 2023

ISRO chief S Somanath said the second test vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission is ready and the space agency is waiting for it to be transported to Sriharikota.

“It will come next month. In two months’ time, I believe everything will be prepared for the next test vehicle mission,” said Somanath.

The first test vehicle, a single-stage liquid rocket, carrying the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape Systems (CES) was successfully launched on October 21, 2023.

The test validated the motors that will be used during the mission, which included low-altitude motors, high-altitude motors, and jettisoning motors that will be put to use to safely eject astronauts away from the vehicle in case of an emergency.

Somanath said 2024 is going to be the year to make preparations for the Gaganyaan mission, which is slated for launch in 2025 to send humans into space. He added that the goal is to hold unmanned missions this year.

He said the rocket for an uncrewed mission to space is ready. “But the crew module elements are more time-consuming. So that work is going on,” he added.

The ISRO chief added that a lot of other tests are being carried out in preparation for the Gaganyaan mission.

“We also have to do many helicopter drop tests for parachute validation. We also need to do development and testing of many environmental life support system, astronaut training programm, etc. So there is a huge bank of work that needs to be completed this year,” said Somanath.

Before the manned mission, a test flight carrying ‘Vyommitra’, a female robot astronaut, is scheduled to take place this year.

In December last year, Somanath revealed that ISRO decided to develop indigenously the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the Gaganyaan mission after international collaborations did not materialise.