From launch prep to astronaut training: Latest on Isro's Gaganyaan mission
The spacecraft, set to be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, will circle the planet in a low-Earth orbit for approximately three days before making a controlled return.Onboard instruments will gather vital data on how the vehicle copes with the stresses of launch, microgravity, radiation exposure, and atmospheric re-entry—a full dress rehearsal for a future mission with astronauts aboard.
This test will simulate a parachute-assisted landing. (Photo: India Today)
DROP TEST AHEADAhead of the December launch, Isro is also planning an integrated drop test involving the crew module.This test will simulate a parachute-assisted landing by dropping the module from a designated altitude, further refining recovery operations and ensuring all landing systems function as intended.While Isro is yet to announce officially, a Notam has been issued hinting at the possibility of the Crew Module drop test.
Gp Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla in space. (Photo: Axiom)
ASTRONAUT TRAINING TO RESUMEMeanwhile, the Gaganyaan astronaut training programme is regaining momentum. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of the four Indian Air Force officers selected for the historic flight, is expected to return to India this month after completing advanced training with Axiom Space in the US.The four-member crew's training regimen is slated to resume in October, with the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) in Bengaluru nearing the completion of a state-of-the-art crew training simulator.This simulator is expected to drastically enhance mission preparedness by replicating launch, orbit, and re-entry scenarios for astronauts. As the December G1 liftoff draws closer, anticipation is mounting both within India's scientific community and among space enthusiasts.Success in these uncrewed test flights will pave the way for the country's first crewed space mission, a milestone that would place India among the select few nations capable of human spaceflight.- EndsMust Watch
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