ISRO Plans India's Next Major Human Spaceflight Programme.- Gaganyaan Mission In Next Year February 2023
The Gaganyaan mission is India's next major human spaceflight programme. It involves the development of a crew-rated launch vehicle, a habitable orbital module, and essential infrastructure. In order to achieve this, ISRO will work with national agencies, industry, and academia. ISRO is also collaborating with private players that have substantial expertise in niche areas. The Gaganyaan program will be completed in two stages. The first test flight of the spacecraft is scheduled for February 2023, and the first crewed flight of the Gaganyaan mission is scheduled to take place in July 2023.
The Gaganyaan mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2022, but the Covid-19 pandemic put the project on hold. This virus affected astronaut training in India and Russia, and delayed the project by two years. In October, India selected four astronaut candidates and gave them introductory training.
Gaganyaan is expected to be India's first manned mission.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the mission last year, and the goal is to launch the first spacecraft in 2022 or 2023. This flight would also celebrate the country's 75th anniversary of independence. Although the mission was delayed several times due to the Covid pandemic, the first Indian astronauts are expected to take their maiden space flight in late 2024 or early 2025. ISRO astronauts are expected to undergo physical testing, aeromedical tests, and psychological evaluations in preparation for the mission.
ISRO is currently developing critical technologies to make the Gaganyaan mission a reality. It has also signed a contract with a subsidiary of the Russian space agency. The crew members are currently undergoing medical and physical training and learning the Russian language. They will also undergo simulations in a hyperbaric chamber and a centrifuge.
The Gaganyaan mission will also be the first test flight for Chandrayaan-3, a mission to the moon. The Gaganyaan astronauts will be launched to a height of 15 km and will then land safely with the help of a parachute. The astronauts will then perform the same abort scenario during the second orbital test. This will help ISRO to fine-tune the abort system.
The spacecraft consists of a service module and a crew module. Together, these modules are known as the Orbital Module. The GSLV Mk III rocket will be used to launch the mission. The crew module is 3.7 metres in diameter and seven meters high. The mission will take about 16 minutes to reach low earth orbit. After reaching low earth orbit, the astronauts will leave the crew module.