Gaganyaan Mission Test Flight Launch Aborted: Vehicle Safe, ISRO Probing Cause

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delayed the launch of the first developmental flight test of the Gaganyaan program. The mission, called the Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1), was originally planned for a liftoff from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota at 8:00 am IST on October 21, 2023. However, the mission's launch was first rescheduled to 8:30 am IST and later to 8:45 am IST. However, the mission did not take off as scheduled today, as announced by ISRO Chief S Somanath during a livestream.

The Gaganyaan mission is India's first human spaceflight mission, and the test flight is a crucial step in preparing for the launch of the first crewed mission. The test flight will carry the uncrewed spacecraft TV-D1, which will be used to test the spacecraft's systems and capabilities.

ISRO Chief Somnath said that the launch of the TV-D1 test flight was aborted due to a glitch in the onboard computer. He added that the vehicle is safe and that ISRO will investigate the cause of the glitch before announcing a new launch date.

"The planned liftoff of TV-D1 did not occur today as scheduled at 8:00 AM. The delay in liftoff time to 8:45 AM was due to adverse weather conditions, and the automatic launch sequence leading to the engine ignition command proceeded smoothly. However, the engine ignition did not occur as expected. We will investigate the cause of the issue. The spacecraft is in a safe condition, and our team will assess the situation on board. We will return with more information after analysing the event that triggered the automatic launch sequence to hold the vehicle. The onboard ground check-up computer detected an anomaly that led to the launch hold. We will reschedule the launch, and further details will be provided once we have completed our analysis,'' ISRO Chief said.

What is the Gaganyaan project?

The Gaganyaan project is India's first human spaceflight mission. The goal of the project is to launch a crew of three astronauts to an orbit of 400 kilometers for a three-day mission and then return them safely to Earth. The project is expected to make India the fourth nation to launch a manned spaceflight mission, after the United States, Russia, and China.

What is the Crew Escape System?

The Crew Escape System is a safety system that is designed to protect the astronauts in the event of an emergency during the launch or ascent phase of the mission. The system is equipped with five types of solid rocket motors that can quickly propel the crew module away from the launch vehicle.

What tests are planned for the Gaganyaan project?

ISRO has planned a series of tests to prepare for the Gaganyaan mission, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3). The HLVM3 is the rocket that will be used to launch the Gaganyaan spacecraft.

What is the test vehicle or rocket?

The test vehicle or rocket is approximately 35 meters tall and weighs 44 tonnes. It is powered by a modified Vikas engine that uses liquid fuel. The crew module and crew escape system are mounted at the front of the rocket.