Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully tested the first uncrewed flight (TV-D1 Flight Test) of the Gaganyaan Mission.
Earlier, Gaganyaan’s First Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) launch was placed on hold as the engine ignition did not happen in the nominal course.
This mission represents a significant milestone in India’s effort to demonstrate that it is possible to send humans into space. The test flight project aims to prove India’s capacity to send humans into a 400-kilometre orbit and safely bring them back to earth with a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal Sea.
Around 20 major tests, including three uncrewed missions of the Human-Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3), are planned to ensure the success of the mission.
The Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bringing them safely back to earth by landing in Indian waters.
This programme will make India the fourth nation to launch a manned spaceflight mission after the US, Russia, and China. Building on the success of the Indian space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed that India should now aim for new and ambitious goals, including setting up ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.