The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has posted details about Gaganyaan Missions Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1). The space agency has stated that the test is scheduled for October 21 (Saturday) at 8am and the spacecraft will be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.The post further said that it will be a “short-duration mission,” the registration to witness the launch will commence at 6pm on Tuesday. TV-D1 will demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system (CES).TV-D1 Flight Test:The test is scheduled for October 21, 2023, at 0800 Hrs. IST from the First launchpad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. It will be a short-duration mission and the visibility from the Launch View Gallery (LVG) will be limited. Students and the Public can witness… pic.twitter.com/MROzlmPjRa— ISRO (@isro) October 17, 2023 This project is a demonstration of ISROs human spaceflight capability by launching a human crew to an orbit of 400 km and then bringing them safely back to earth.The crew module for the Gaganyaan mission is reportedly at various stages of construction, according to the ISRO website. The crew module for TV-D1 is an unpressurised version.According to the website, it contains all of the systems for deceleration and recovery, as well as a full complement of parachutes, recovery assist actuation systems, and pyrotechnics.The crew module will be recovered using a special vessel and a dive team from the Indian Navy once it lands in the Bay of Bengal.About TV-D1The test vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket designed for abort missions, according to the space agency. The crew module, crew escape systems, CM fairing, and interface adapters make up the payloads together with their fast-acting solid motors.At a height of around 17 km, the crew escape mechanism with crew module will be cut loose from the test vehicle. Then, the abort sequence will be carried out automatically, beginning with the separation of the CES and the deployment of a succession of parachutes, and ending with the crew modules safe impact in the water, roughly 10 kilometers off the coast of Sriharikota, according to ISRO.
