Gaganyaan: ISRO completes key test ahead of first uncrewed mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed crucial tests for the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. The mission, targeted for launch this year, involves sending a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission, with safe return to earth via Indian sea waters.

Gaganyaan Orbital Module consists of the Crew Module (CM) and Service Module (SM), which are connected via a separation system. Electrical and fluid servicing between CM and SM happens through umbilical connections. Prior to re-entry into earth's atmosphere, the CM is separated from the SM.

To validate the CM-SM separation system, ISRO set up a testing scenario at their Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The tests successfully simulated the CM-SM separation, involving severing of multiple umbilical connections between CM and SM. These tests not only validated the design adequacy of the separation system but also showcased the robustness and shock-survivability of various critical subsystems in the CM, including avionics systems, inertial navigation systems, thermal protection system, and the crew module deployable umbilical shield.