‘Takes us one step closer…,’ PM Modi congratulates ISRO on Gaganyaan test flight mission success

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for completing a important test in India’s first manned spaced flight program Gaganyaan.

“This launch takes us one step closer to realising India’s first human space flight program, Gaganyaan. My best wishes to our scientists at @isro,” the PM said on X.

The Gaganyan project envisages the demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a 3-member crew to an orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometres for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian waters.

ISRO successfully conducted the first test flight of the ‘TV-D1’ (Test Vehicle Development Flight 1) in the Gaganyaan Mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota after it was aborted at 8:45 am today due to a problem in the engine ignition.

The test flight sequence launched the Crew Escape System and Crew Module at an altitude of 17 km followed by a safe touchdown in the sea, about 10 km from Sriharikota in Bay of Bengal.

The Liquid propelled single stage Test Vehicle uses a modified VIKAS engine with Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape System (CES) mounted at its fore end.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated ISRO and said on X, “After the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3, our nation is ready to take its next giant stride in the realm of space. Today, the ISRO launched Gaganyaan’s TV-D1 Test Flight into space, scripting another remarkable space odyssey. My heartfelt congratulations to our scientists and our citizens on this momentous occasion of success and fulfilment.”

The success of the ISRO’s mission came after a second attempt at launch as it had faced an engine ignition problem at 8:45 a.m. in its initial attempt.
ISRO Chief Somanath said that the purpose of this mission to demonstrate the crew escape system in the mission was achieved.

“I am very happy to announce the successful accomplishment of the TV-D1 mission. The purpose of this mission was to demonstrate the crew escape system for the Gaganyaan program through a test vehicle demonstration in which the vehicle went up to a Mach number, which is slightly above the speed of sound, and initiated an abort condition for the crew escape system to function,” he said.

The mission objectives of the TV-D1 launch were flight demonstration and evaluation of Test Vehicle subsystems; flight demonstration and evaluation of Crew Escape System including various separation systems; crew module characteristics; and deceleration system demonstration at higher altitudes and its recovery.

This programme will make India the fourth nation to launch a manned spaceflight mission after the United States, Russia, and China. (ANI)