Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday presided over a high-level meeting to assess the status of India's Gaganyaan mission and lay out the country's future space exploration initiatives. The Department of Space issued a statement providing a comprehensive overview of the Gaganyaan mission during the meeting, highlighting critical developments such as human-rated launch vehicles and system qualification.
The meeting revealed that the mission is planning approximately 20 significant tests, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3). Notably, the Crew Escape System Test Vehicle's first demonstration flight is scheduled for October 21, as per the statement.
This upcoming flight test will simulate an abort condition during the ascent trajectory, with crew escape systems and crude modules separating from the test vehicle at about 17 kilometres altitude, according to the statement. Following that, an autonomous abort sequence will begin, which will include the separation of crew escape systems and the deployment of a series of parachutes, ultimately leading to the safe landing of the crew module in the sea, approximately 10 kilometres off the coast of Sriharikota, it said.
At the same time, the Prime Minister's review meeting examined the mission's readiness, confirming its launch date of 2025.
Prime Minister Modi issued visionary directives, building on the successes of recent Indian space missions such as Chandrayan-3 and the Aditya L1 Mission. He urged India to set new and ambitious goals, such as completing the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040. To realise this vision, the Department of Space will create a comprehensive Moon exploration roadmap, which will include a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), the construction of a new launch pad, the establishment of human-centric laboratories, and the development of associated technologies.
Prime Minister Modi also urged Indian scientists to concentrate on interplanetary missions such as the Venus Orbiter Mission and the Mars Lander.
PM Modi expressed confidence in India's capabilities and reaffirmed the country's unwavering commitment to breaking new ground in space exploration. The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India's capability in human spaceflight by launching a three-person crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission, with a safe return to Earth via landing in Indian sea waters.
The development of critical technologies, such as a human-rated launch vehicle for crew transport, a life support system to provide a habitable environment in space, crew emergency escape provisions, and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery, and rehabilitation, are prerequisites for the Gaganyaan mission.
After the United States, Russia, and China, India will be the fourth nation to complete a manned spaceflight mission with the Gaganyaan mission.
In recent years, India has made significant strides in space exploration, including the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon's South Pole on August 23. This achievement made India the fourth country to accomplish this historic feat, joining the United States, China, and Russia, and marked a significant advancement from the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2 mission four years ago.
Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, India launched Aditya-L1, its first solar mission, on September 2. The spacecraft has successfully escaped Earth's influence in its journey towards the Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) after a series of earthbound manoeuvres. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft recently performed a trajectory correction manoeuvre (TCM) lasting approximately 16 seconds to maintain its intended path following tracking evaluation.