Gaganyaan mission: ISRO succeeds in 2nd attempt, launches rocket at 10 am

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• Oct 21, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Gaganyaan mission: India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission achieved a significant milestone today as the...

Digital Desk: India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission achieved a significant milestone today as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted an unmanned test flight to evaluate the efficiency of the vehicle's crew escape system. The test flight, known as Test Vehicle D1, lifted off from Sriharikota, marking a historic moment in India's journey toward sending humans into space.

"We are very happy to announce the success of the mission. The purpose of the mission was to demonstrate the crew escape system. The vehicle went slightly above the speed of sound, before it initiated the crew escape system," stated ISRO's Chairman, S Somanath, from the mission center.

The crew escape system, a critical component of the Gaganyaan mission, was tested for its ability to safely eject astronauts in the event of an emergency. The system performed flawlessly, separating the crew module from the vehicle and ensuring a safe descent to the sea.

The Test Vehicle D1 mission faced a brief delay as the countdown stopped just 5 seconds before the scheduled launch at 8 am, which was later revised to 8:45 am. However, ISRO identified the issue and successfully conducted the test at 10 am.

This successful test marks a crucial step forward for India's Gaganyaan program, which aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 kilometers for three days before safely returning them to Earth. The mission, scheduled for 2024, will demonstrate India's human spaceflight capabilities and pave the way for more ambitious projects, including the establishment of a space station by 2035 and missions to explore Venus and Mars.

ISRO is now working to retrieve the crew modules from the sea, celebrating a major achievement in the country's space exploration journey.