India is getting ready for human spaceflight missions, and before the year is out, it intends to perform a critical test of its Gaganyaan crew vehicle.
The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), S Somanath, said on August 16 that some rocket hardware for the unmanned Gaganyaan test flight has arrived at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, on the massive barrier island Sriharikota.
“We are currently working on G1, the Gaganyaan’s first mission. the initial mission without a crew. According to the Economic Times, Somanath stated, “As of right now, the rocket, the S200 stage, the L1, [and] C32 stage are all at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.”
The Launch Vehicle Mark-3, or LVM3, is the rocket in question. In the meantime, integration is taking place at the U R Rao Satellite Center and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center for the crew and service modules for the unmanned mission, respectively.
All systems for a complete crewed flight, including the crew and service modules, the rocket adapted for human spaceflight, reentry, parachute deployment, and a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal, will be tested during the next demonstration flight, G1.
Unmanned but equipped with a humanoid robot called “Vyomitra” (Sanskrit for “space friend”), G1 will help validate systems. G2 and G3, two further unmanned test missions, are anticipated to launch in 2025.
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