The Dawn of India’s Crewed Missions

After much anticipation, ISRO is geared up to launch its first human spaceflight expedition!

The Gaganyaan mission is an ambitious project by the Indian Space Research Organization to launch India’s first crewed mission. 4 Indian astronauts will be sent to space for a brief period of 3 days up to an orbit of 400 km, hence crossing the Karman line. Another noteworthy aspect of this mission is the international collaboration that is being carried out. The project is being accomplished using the best possible approach, taking into account internal knowledge, industry experience from India, the intellectual prowess of Indian academia and research institutions, and state-of-the-art technologies that are accessible through foreign organizations.

Only a resilient organization is capable of executing such a resilient mission. The finest illustration of this is ISRO. Started by an incredible scientist, Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO was founded in 1962. Before the Mangalyaan mission, which put ISRO on the map of the international space industry, the organization had launched several satellite missions on a surprisingly low budget and with very few resources.

The Gaganyaan mission is not just a single launch but rather a series of tests and trials. This project has a 5-7-year timeframe.

The first trial was the “Integrated Drop Test.” It was done on November 18, 2022, at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC). In this parachute airdrop test of the Parachute Deceleration System (PDS), the Indian Air Force flew an Ilyushin Il-76 (a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter) to a height of 2.5 km and dropped a 5-ton dummy mass equivalent to the actual crew module mass. The primary parachutes were then freed by two tiny pyro-based mortar-deployed pilot parachutes.

This was followed by the "Pad Abort Tests" and the "Test Vehicle Mission." The main goals were to evaluate the systems' ability to function effectively in emergencies. The key checkpoints were the safety systems, as well as other subsystems such as avionics and communication. Among the dozens of tests are also engine qualification tests and static tests for the efficiency of the propulsion system. After successfully clearing these tests, the launch vehicle is put on trial.

The chosen launch vehicle for this pioneering expedition is the LVM3 rocket (also known as the GSLV Mk III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III). It is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle known for its reliability and versatility. Its payload capacity is also a perfect match for the Gaganyaan mission. The fact that it was also used in the Chandrayaan mission speaks volumes about its capabilities. There will be two unmanned orbital test flights in 2024 and one in mid-2025.

Given that this is an attempt to send Indian astronauts into space for the first time, international organizations will assist in both the development of the spacecraft and the appropriate training of the selected astronauts. To be prepared before the official launch date, the training is being conducted in parallel. The proposed date for the crewed flight is 2025–2026; however, no date has been confirmed as of yet.

Beyond simply being the first Indian crewed mission, there are numerous other firsts with this one. It will be the first time globally that an unmanned launch vehicle will be tested using a robot called Vyommitra instead of animals. It will also contribute to our understanding of how radiation and vacuum affect the human body.

The Crew Module (CM) is like a home in space for astronauts. Its two-layered construction ensures astronaut safety with a robust inner section and a shielding outer layer. Important components like controls, astronaut gear, and life support systems are located inside. The cryogenic engine- Vikas and re-entry system are also major technological innovations for this mission.

Astronauts must be physically, mentally, and intellectually strong to conduct effective research in outer space. As a result, great caution and effort went into choosing the astronauts. And our defense personnel were the best of the bunch. Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, recently revealed the names of the first four Indian astronauts who have been selected and are presently undergoing international training using cutting-edge techniques. Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla are the Indian Air Force pilots who have been chosen for the Gaganyaan Mission. To train Indian astronauts, ISRO has pursued partnerships with foreign space agencies, mainly NASA and Roscosmos. They trained intensively at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, the same historic establishment used in 1984 to train Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut. This training involves basic survival training, crew interactions, spacewalks, and emergency procedures. These international agencies have also generously provided technical expertise as well as mission components and systems.

A mission this complex will inevitably involve constraints and difficulties. Establishing a regenerative environment for food, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and human waste may be difficult due to the spacecraft's limited weight capacity. Training and crew selection were major hurdles because no one in India had experience going to outer space. Crew safety is also critical because, when human lives are at stake, no system can tolerate a human or technical error. Spacecraft development and testing must therefore be carried out extremely cautiously and carefully.

With the onset of such incredible space missions, it was only a matter of time before our Prime Minister and the general public expressed their support. According to a space roadmap released by the Prime Minister's Office, the Chandrayaan 4 mission is scheduled for 2024, a space station for 2028, and a manned mission to the Moon by 2040. More international collaborations with NASA, ESA, and other organizations should be anticipated, given the current level of worldwide support. In schools, STEM education initiatives like the current Yuva Vigyani Karyakram also referred to as the "Young Scientist Programme," will be promoted more.

The Gaganyaan mission will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most memorable missions, and India will once again demonstrate that our vision and our head-strong scientists can overcome anything that comes their way.