) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
on Tuesday announced that the first unmanned Flight Test Vehicle Abort
Mission-1 (TV-D1) to demonstrate the crew escape system, as part of
Gaganyaan programme, will be conducted at 8.00 am from Sriharikota
on October 21.
The launch will take place from the First Launch Pad and ISRO has invited
students and public to register themselves for witnessing it from the Launch
View Gallery (LVG).
ISRO posted on X, along with photos “TV-D1 Flight Test: The test is scheduled
for October 21, 2023, at 0800 Hrs. IST from the First launchpad at SDSC-SHAR,
Sriharikota.”
It will be a short-duration mission and the visibility from the Launch View Gallery
(LVG) will be limited, the Space Agency said on Tuesday in an update.
This flight test will mark a major milestone in the overall Gaganyaan programme,
which will be India’s first manned mission to space.
The TV-D1 test flight will demonstrate the performance of the Crew Escape
System.
It said this would be a significant milestone. for the overall Gagayaan
programme as a near-complete system is integrated for the flight test.
The unmanned test flight mission of the crew module escape system,
will take place using ISRO’s heaviest rocket LVM3.
“The first unmanned test mission TV-D1 will take place on October 21,
which will be followed by three more test flights TV-D2, TV-D3 and
TV-D4 to test the systems before the maiden human flight mission”,
ISRO Chairman S.Somanath said.
The test is intended to test the ‘crew module ’ or the part of vehicle where
the Indian astronauts will be housed.
The test involves launching the module to outer space and bringing it back
to earth and recovering it after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal.
The TV-D1 will demonstrate the in-flight system. In manned missions “We
are testing and ensuring that the escape system has got a very high
reliability…the escape system will be activated in transonic conditions, which
is Mach 1.2 and we will demonstrate how the crew will be rescued”, ISRO
sources said.
The Navy personnel have already started mock operations to recover the
module, he said, adding, along with the crew module, there will also be a
‘crew escape’ system.
If the spacecraft while ascending into space faces a problem, this escape
system is expected to separate and bring the crew safely back to sea from
where they will be picked by the Navy personnel.
The Gaganyaan mission is expected to take place in the second quarter
of next year.
