Gaganyaan Episode 2: Why India Needs Special Rockets | The Scope
India’s LVM-3 has already launched satellites and carried Chandrayaan-3 towards the Moon. But carrying astronauts demands an entirely different level of safety. In Episode 2 of The Scope’s Gaganyaan — India’s Leap, we explore how ISRO is transforming the proven LVM-3 into the human-rated HLVM-3, with redundant systems, rigorous testing and a powerful Crew Escape System. From the 2018 Pad Abort…
Episode 2 of The Scope's Gaganyaan series delves into the challenges India faces in transporting astronauts into space, revealing the significant modifications ISRO is making to its existing Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM-3) rocket. The primary concern lies in ensuring the safety of human spaceflight, as the LVM-3, which has already launched satellites and carried Chandrayaan-3 towards the Moon, lacks the necessary features for crewed missions.
To address these concerns, ISRO is transforming the LVM-3 into a human-rated rocket, designated as the Heavy Lift Vehicle Mark 3 (HLVM-3). This transformation involves the integration of redundant systems, rigorous testing protocols, and the incorporation of a powerful Crew Escape System. These advancements are aimed at mitigating risks associated with human spaceflight and preparing ISRO for every conceivable failure scenario before India's astronauts embark on their journey.
Notable milestones in ISRO's journey towards a human-rated launch system include the 2018 Pad Abort Test, which demonstrated the rocket's ability to abort a launch and safely return to the launch pad, and the dramatic 2023 TV-D1 mission. This mission showcased ISRO's commitment to pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight and their unwavering dedication to astronaut safety.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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