Gaganyaan mission: ISRO conducts cryogenic engine qualification test

“The engine performance met the test objectives and the engine parameters closely matched with the predictions during the entire duration of the test,” ISRO said.

“This successful long-duration test is a major milestone for the manned space program – Gaganyaan. It ensures the reliability and robustness of the cryogenic engine for induction into the manned-rated launch vehicle for Gaganyaan.”

This engine will undergo four more tests for a cumulative duration of 1,810 seconds.

Thereafter, another engine will undergo two short duration tests and one long duration test to meet cryogenic engine qualification for the Gaganyaan programme.

India’s first manned space mission “Gaganyaan” will be launched in 2023, the central government said last year.

With this launch, India will become the fourth country in the world to launch a manned space flight mission after the United States, Russia and China.

“Major missions like, test vehicle flight for verification of crew escape system performance and first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (G1) are scheduled during early second half of 2022. This will be followed by second uncrewed mission. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said, an astronaut human-robot “Vyommitra” developed by ISRO in late 2022 and finally the first Gaganyaan mission in 2023.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address in 2018, in which he said that an Indian astronaut, whether male or female, would go on a space journey on ‘Gaganyaan’ by 2022, Singh said that in the program Slight delay due to covid restrictions.

He said the objective of the Gaganyaan program is to demonstrate the capability of an Indian launch vehicle to send humans into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and bring them back to Earth safely.

Singh said that more than 500 industries are involved in the launch of Gaganyaan with several research modules including indigenous health research module.