The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Friday that it has reached a major milestone for its Gaganyaan program, which aims to send humans into space. They have successfully moved the first segment of a solid rocket motor from the production facility to the launch site. This news comes just days after ISRO conducted important recovery tests for the Gaganyaan mission in collaboration with the Indian Navy on December 6.
The recovery tests involved a “well deck,” a part of a ship that can be filled with water to allow boats, landing crafts, and even spacecraft to be brought inside for safe docking.
ISRO shared the exciting news on social media, stating, “A significant milestone for the Gaganyaan Programme! The first solid motor segment has been moved from the production plant to the launch complex, marking a key step towards the HLVM3 G1 flight. India's human spaceflight dreams are taking shape!”
The Gaganyaan project is India’s first mission to send humans into space and has been approved by the government. The goal of Gaganyaan is to demonstrate the country's ability to carry a crew of three astronauts to an orbit 400 kilometers above the Earth for a three-day mission, then safely return them to the ocean off the coast of India.
Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a milestone by conducting a successful test of its CE20 Cryogenic Engine at sea level. The test was carried out at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, on November 29, 2024. During this evaluation, the engine's capability for restarting was demonstrated. Testing the CE20 engine at sea level presents challenges due to its specially designed nozzle, which is optimized for efficient operation in space but complicates ground testing.
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Inputs from PTI
