Isro: Gaganyaan: Crew module development progressing, Isro geared up for abort test

BENGALURU: The crew module — where the astronauts will be contained in a pressurised Earth-like atmospheric condition during Gaganyaan — is under various stages of development.
The space agency, which is aiming to conduct the first Test Vehicle abort mission or TV-D1 by the end of this month, will use an unpressurised CM which has completed its integration and testing and is ready to be shipped to the launch complex.
“This unpressurised CM version has to have an overall size and mass of actual Gaganyaan CM. It houses all the systems for the deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, actuation systems and pyros. The avionics systems are in a dual redundant mode configuration for navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation and power,” Isro said.
For this mission, it has been designed to capture the flight data for evaluation of the performance of various systems. It will be recovered after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal, using a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy.
“The TV-D1 is in the final stages of preparation. The test vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket developed for this abort mission. The payloads consist of the CM and the crew escape systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing (CMF) and interface adapters,” Isro said.

The mission will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 (1,482 kmph) expected to be encountered in the Gaganyaan mission. The CES with CM will be separated from the Test Vehicle at an altitude of about 17km.
“Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10km from the coast of Sriharikota,” Isro said.

The CM after integration underwent various electrical testing, at Isro’s facility in Bengaluru, including an acoustic test and was dispatched to the spaceport in Sriharikota on August 13.
At the spaceport, it will undergo vibration tests and pre-integration with the CES, before final integration to the Test Vehicle at the launch pad.
“This test vehicle mission with this CM is a significant milestone for the overall Gaganyaan programme as a near-complete system is integrated for a flight test. The success of this test flight will set the stage for the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts,” Isro added.