Gaganyaan test flight on October 21: What will happen? Where to watch?

The test will feature TV-D1, a single-stage liquid rocket.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to initiate unmanned flight tests as part of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission on October 21 at 8 am.  An early version of the Gaganyaan crew module will be taken to a height of 17 km to test its mid-flight crew escape system.

“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.

According to Indian Express, the test mission will last a total of 532 seconds from liftoff to the crew module splashdown about 10 km from the Sriharikota coast.  During the test, a single-engine rocket will carry an early depressurised version of the Gaganyaan crew module to a height of about 17 kilometres. An abort signal will then be sent. If the escape system works, its crew module will separate from the rocket and deploy its parachutes before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal. The test itself will be uncrewed.

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What will be tested?

The test will feature TV-D1, a single-stage liquid rocket. This is why the operation has been named Test Vehicle-Demonstration 1 (TV-D1). “In the TV-D1 as well as subsequent in-flight abort missions, the Crew Module & crew escape assembly will be launched on top of a GSLV Mk-2 side booster with some minor modifications (Test Vehicle),” stated ISRO on X. According to ISRO, the payloads consist of the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape Systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing (CMF) and Interface Adapters.

Also read: ISRO's humanoid robot Vyommitra is prepping for lift-off

The TV-D1 vehicle uses a modified VIKAS engine with a Crew Module and Crew Escape System mounted at its front. It stands at 34.9 metres tall. It is a single-walled unpressurised aluminum structure with a simulated thermal protection system.  The mission ISRO said the mission’s objectives include evaluating test vehicles, crew escape systems, Crew Module characteristics, demonstrating deceleration systems at higher altitudes, and successful recovery.

Actual mission

For the actual mission, the space agency will take a crewed spacecraft to an altitude of about 400 kilometres above the Earth on a three-day mission. After that, the mission will bring them back safely to Earth with a splash down in Indian waters. If the main mission succeeds, it will put India on a list of just four countries that can launch a crewed spacecraft by itself. The list currently includes the United States, the Soviet Union and China. China currently has a space station in orbit with three astronauts living in it.

Where to watch it?

The space agency will be livestreaming the test flight through various platforms, including its own website, Facebook and YouTube. The mission will also be broadcast live on DD National.