Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said they have started analysing data from the crew escape system, and are also studying the crew module recovered from the ocean, after Saturday’s successful first test vehicle development flight (TV-D1) for India’s maiden human spaceflight – Gaganyaan. A senior Isro official said that teams have started the process of analysing data from test flight to understand how various systems performed. They are also assessing how the systems within the crew module survived the landing into the Bay of Bengal.
“We have achieved results that are very close to nominal conditions, but we are analysing the data to ensure that that we are absolutely ready before the crewed Gaganyaan mission,” said the official. Isro on Saturday morning successfully performed TV-D1 test flight, braving multiple weather delays and a temporary computer glitch. It was the first of the many safety tests scheduled to be performed by the space agency ahead of India’s first human spaceflight.
The primary aim behind Saturday’s test flight was to demonstrate and evaluate the sub-systems of the test vehicle, crew escape systems including various separation systems, to conduct crew module characteristics and the demonstration of deceleration systems at higher altitude and its recovery.
“Isro will conduct in-flight abort demonstration of Crew Escape System (CES) at Mach number 1.2 with the newly developed test vehicle followed by crew module separation and safe recovery,” Isro’s test flight brochure read.
The Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission, envisages to demonstrate of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely. Leading up to the actual manned mission, the space agency will be conducting several rounds of tests to ensure the systems are safe to carry and bring back astronauts safely to Earth.
The liquid propelled single stage test vehicle, or TV-D1, uses a modified VIKAS engine with crew module and crew escape system mounted at its fore end. After the TV-D1 test flight demonstration, the space agency will also be carrying out a test flight with a robot, “Vyomitra”, a humaoid astronaut, and an unmanned flight before the manned mission, possibly scheduled for 2025, according to officials from the department of space.
The prerequisites for Gaganyaan mission include development of many critical technologies including human rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space, life support system to provide an earth like environment to crew in space, crew emergency escape provision and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew.
For Saturday’s test flight, the crew escape system consisted of five types of quick acting solid motors namely crew escape system jettisoning motor (CJM), high-altitude escape motor (HEM), low-altitude escape motor (LEM), low-altitude pitch motor (LPM) and high-altitude pitch motor (HPM), which generate required acceleration for varying mission requirements.
Indian Navy team lead the recovery of TV-D1 crew module after touchdown, around 10km from Sriharikota coast. Recovery ships, positioned at a safe range in sea waters approached the crew module and a team of divers attached a buoy, hoist the crew module using a ship crane and brought it ashore.
S Sivakumar, mission director of the TV-D1 test, said that this test was a bouquet of three experiments put together testing the safety of the test vehicle, crew escape system and the crew module.
“All systems performed well and such a test has never been done before. This was a penance for us for the last three-four years and we are glad that everything has performed as per plan, minus the minor initial glitch, which was immediately rectified,” Sivakumar said on Saturday. Senior officials from the space agency also said that another round of tests including in-flight abort test and a pad abort test is also expected to be scheduled for later this year.
Source: Hindustan Times
