The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently announced its plans to initiate unmanned flight tests as part of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. The first unmanned flight test is scheduled for October 21 and will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The Gaganyaan Mission test flight is scheduled for Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 AM IST. “Mission Gaganyaan: ISRO to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission. Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway,” ISRO posted on X.
The first flight test will be a “short-duration mission” to test the crew module, which will hold Indian astronauts during the human voyage later next year.
ISRO took to X to inform citizens to register themselves at the official government site to see the historic moment live from Sriharikota.
“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 the launch from LVG at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, by registering at https://lvg.shar.gov.in/VSCREGISTRATION/index.jsp. Registration will commence on October 17, 2023, at 18:00 Hrs. Latest updates will also be provided in that link, ” ISRO wrote on X.
ISRO aims for full public participation and invites audiences to enjoy the action-packed launching process digitally through several streaming platforms. Viewers can log in to ISRO’s official website to watch the spectacular proceedings. Livestream of the event will also be available on ISRO’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel, reaching out to the space community’s broad spectrum. India’s national broadcaster, Doordarshan, will also contribute to the live streaming through DD National TV.
The Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of ISRO’s human spaceflight capability by launching a human crew to an orbit of 400 km and bringing them safely back to earth by landing in Indian sea waters.
The Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1) is aimed at testing the crew module (CM) that will carry Indian astronauts during the human spaceflight late next year.
The TV-D1 test flight involves launching the unmanned crew module to outer space, bringing it back to earth and recovering it after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal.
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