Chennai, October 19: India is gearing up for a significant milestone in its space exploration journey as the countdown for the inaugural Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) commences at 8 a.m. on Friday. This test flight aims to demonstrate the crew escape system of the Indian rocket that will eventually carry astronauts into space, with the first human mission expected in 2025, according to a senior official from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath has confirmed that this will be the first of four planned test flights, marking a crucial step towards realizing India’s space ambitions. The flight, scheduled for 8 a.m. on Saturday, is primarily focused on evaluating various subsystems and characteristics, as well as the deceleration system at higher altitudes.
The test vehicle, weighing approximately 44 tonnes and standing at about 35 meters tall, is equipped with a modified Vikas engine powered by liquid fuel. Positioned at the front of the rocket are the crew module and crew escape system.
The entire sequence, from liftoff to the crew module’s safe touchdown in the sea with parachute deployment, is expected to last approximately 531 seconds or nine minutes.
The crew module, weighing 4,520 kg, is constructed as a single-walled, unpressurized aluminum structure and will maintain earth-like atmospheric conditions for astronauts during actual human space missions. Although this version (TV-D1) is unpressurized, it closely resembles the size and mass of the Gaganyaan crew module, housing all deceleration and recovery systems.
The crew module’s avionics systems are configured in dual redundancy mode, covering navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation, and power. The mission will extensively capture flight data to evaluate the performance of various systems.
The crew module’s deceleration will be achieved using parachutes with pyrotechnic systems. Parachute deployment is expected to begin at an altitude of about 17 km.
Around 60 seconds into the flight, at an altitude of 17 km, the test vehicle and the crew escape system will separate, followed by the separation of the crew module and crew escape system 91 seconds after liftoff.
Subsequently, an autonomous abort sequence will initiate, including the separation of the crew escape system and the deployment of a series of parachutes. This will culminate in the safe splashdown of the crew module in the sea, approximately 10 km from the Sriharikota coast.
Recovery operations will involve approaching the crew module with recovery ships, attaching a buoy, hoisting it using a ship crane, and bringing it back to the shore. The crew escape system will impact the sea around 14 km from Sriharikota.
The success of this Test Vehicle mission with the crew module marks a crucial step in the broader Gaganyaan program, as it integrates a nearly complete system for this flight test. Its success will set the stage for further qualification tests and unmanned missions, paving the way for India’s first Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts, as stated by ISRO.
