In the lead-up to India’s ambitious Gaganyaan Mission, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully completed its first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01). The Indian Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Indian Navy, and Indian Coast Guard were among the defense and research agencies that worked together to make the testing successful, according to ISRO.
ISRO successfully completed the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) for end-to-end demonstration of the parachute-based deceleration mechanism for Gaganyaan missions, the agency announced in a post on X. ISRO, the Indian Air Force, the DRDO, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Coast Guard collaborated on this test. Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, had earlier declared that the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) for India’s first human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, has already undergone development and ground testing.
“Orbital Module: The Crew and Service Module’s propulsion systems have been created and evaluated. The ECLSS engineering model was implemented. Five different motor types were developed and static tested for the Crew Escape System (CES). In a written response submitted to the Lok Sabha, Singh stated, “Infrastructure established: Orbital Module Preparation Facility, Gaganyaan Control Center, Gaganyaan Control facility, Crew training facility, Second Launch pad modifications.”
“Precursor Missions: TV-D1 flying tests and a test vehicle created for CES validation. There are ongoing projects for IADT-01 and TV-D2. The ground network setup for flight operations and communication has been finalized. Terrestrial connections and IDRSS-1 feeder stations were set up. Crew Recovery Operations: Completed recovery resources. The recovery plan was successful. First Uncrewed Mission (G1): Realization of CES motors and C32-G stage. CES Fore and HS200 Motors are piled up to the Crew Module Jettisoning Motor. The structure of the crew and service modules is completed. Checks for Crew Module Phase-1 are finished,” he continued.
The Indian Human Space Programme aims to fulfill the nation’s spaceflight aspirations, with a focus on technological and manufacturing capabilities. The programme aims to establish a human habitat or low Earth orbit space station by 2035, with plans for five modules by 2035. The Indian Moon Landing is also a priority.
