GAGANYAAN
MISSION - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News:
ISRO and Indian Navy
conduct key trials for Gaganyaan mission
What's
in the news?
●
The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO), along with the Indian Navy, has conducted an important trial for the Gaganyaan,
human space flight mission.
●
They carried out initial recovery trials
of the Crew Module in the Navy’s Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) in Kochi.
Key
takeaways:
●
The trials were part of the preparation
for crew module recovery operations for the Gaganyaan mission that will be
carried out in Indian waters with the participation of Indian Government
agencies, the overall recovery operations being led by the Indian Navy.
●
A Crew
Module Recovery Model (CMRM), that simulates the mass, center of gravity,
outer dimensions, and externals of the actual Crew Module at touchdown, was
used for the trials.
○
According to ISRO, as the safe recovery of
the crew is the final step to be accomplished for any successful human
spaceflight, it is of paramount importance and it has to be carried out with
the minimum lapse of time.
Gaganyaan
mission:
Aim:
●
Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital
spacecraft that is intended to send 3
(including a women) astronauts to space for a minimum of three days by 2022
(delayed due to COVID-19).
Launched
by:
●
ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle GSLV Mk III (3 stages
heavy-lift vehicle)
Components:
●
Consists of a service module and a crew
module, collectively known as an Orbital Module (Crew Module carries astronauts
& Service Modules carries propellants).
●
ISRO had been working on related
technologies and it performed a Crew
Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment and a Pad Abort Test for the
mission.
LEO:
●
It will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400
km from the earth for 5-7 days.
Vyom
Mitra:
●
ISRO to send humanoid Vyommitra in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft ahead of human
spaceflight (Monitoring module parameters).
Significance:
●
If the maiden human spaceflight Gaganyaan
mission is a success, India will become
the fourth country to have conducted human spaceflights after the US,
Russia, and China.
●
The programme would spur research and
development within the country in niche science and technology
●
ISRO has developed some critical technologies like re-entry
mission capability, crew escape system, crew module configuration, thermal
protection system, deceleration and flotation system, sub-systems of life
support system required for Mission Gaganyaan.
●
The human spaceflight programme will
provide a unique micro-gravity platform
in space for conducting experiments and a test bed for future technologies.
●
It has potential for technology spinoffs
in several areas such as medicine, agriculture, industrial safety, pollution,
waste management, water and food resource management through this programme.
●
The maiden spaceflight is also aiming to
achieve economic activities such as employment generation, human resource
development, and enhanced industrial capabilities.