Chennai, Oct 16 (FN Agency) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday announced that the first unmanned Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), as part of maiden human space flight mission, will be conducted from the spaceport of Sriharikota on October 21, marking a major milestone in the overall /gaganyaan programme. ISRO said “the TV-D1 test flight is scheduled for October 21, 2023 between 7 am and 9 am from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota”. 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. ISRO Chairman S.Somanath said preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), that would demonstrate the performance of the Crew Escape System, are on in full swing at the SDSC-SHAR Range ahead of the test flight. “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”, he 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…te 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.