Updates on TV-D1 and TV-D2 missions. TV-D1 planned in July.https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-looking-at-testing-gaganyaan-crew-module-mission-by-july-says-chairman-somanath/article66907883.eceQuote"We will be launching a test vehicle mission now. Target is to conduct it by July. The vehicle for conducting the test is already here in Satish Dhawan Space Centre here." he said.This launch would demonstrate how the crew escapes in case of any accident during the Gaganyaan mission, he said."The vehicle will be taken to an altitude of 14 km and from there we would create a problem or try to destroy it and see how the crew module escapes. That we have to demonstrate. We are talking to various stakeholders like the Navy." he said.This mission has to be repeated again and after that there would be an unmanned mission probably next year in which the whole crew module would be taken to orbit and return, he said.
"We will be launching a test vehicle mission now. Target is to conduct it by July. The vehicle for conducting the test is already here in Satish Dhawan Space Centre here." he said.This launch would demonstrate how the crew escapes in case of any accident during the Gaganyaan mission, he said."The vehicle will be taken to an altitude of 14 km and from there we would create a problem or try to destroy it and see how the crew module escapes. That we have to demonstrate. We are talking to various stakeholders like the Navy." he said.This mission has to be repeated again and after that there would be an unmanned mission probably next year in which the whole crew module would be taken to orbit and return, he said.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/primary-objective-is-a-sure-shot-safe-mission-not-in-a-hurry-to-launch-gaganyaan-asserts-isro-chief/articleshow/100855089.cms?from=mdrQuoteGaganyaan which was set to launch in 2022 was delayed due to COVID-19, Somanath said while briefing the media during the international conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2023)."We have a different way of thinking now. Our thinking is like this that we don't want to rush. That decision we have taken. The primary objective of the human space flight is a sure shot safe mission," the ISRO chief said.Looks like TV-D1 is now moved to August...QuoteAccording to Somanath, the first exercise will probably happen in August, which was earlier planned in July."So, two abort missions have to take place this year followed by an unmanned mission possibly by the beginning of next year," the ISRO chairman said.Quote"For me, eight major tests are there and if all the tests successfully happen without any glitch, the launch will between 2024 and 2025 time frame. But if I face problems and challenges, which are natural in this process, I have to discount for the schedule," he added.
Gaganyaan which was set to launch in 2022 was delayed due to COVID-19, Somanath said while briefing the media during the international conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2023)."We have a different way of thinking now. Our thinking is like this that we don't want to rush. That decision we have taken. The primary objective of the human space flight is a sure shot safe mission," the ISRO chief said.
According to Somanath, the first exercise will probably happen in August, which was earlier planned in July."So, two abort missions have to take place this year followed by an unmanned mission possibly by the beginning of next year," the ISRO chairman said.
"For me, eight major tests are there and if all the tests successfully happen without any glitch, the launch will between 2024 and 2025 time frame. But if I face problems and challenges, which are natural in this process, I have to discount for the schedule," he added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/gaganyaan-first-abort-test-to-be-in-near-supersonic-condition/articleshow/101407779.cms [Jul 1, 2023]QuoteThe mission — TV technology demonstrator-1 (TV-TD1) — will be the first of several such tests Isro plans to conduct before the first uncrewed mission under Gaganyaan. Planned for early August, the mission is expected to see the simulated crew module separate from the vehicle at a height of around 11km (from sea level), attain an altitude of around 15km before falling back to the Bay of Bengal. “This particular test takes the vehicle to a near-supersonic condition, that is past Mach-1 (speed of sound) condition. We will abort the mission, ask the CES to trigger the escape process and then the entire chain of events will happen on a short distance,” Isro chairman S Somanath told TOI.QuoteFollowing this, crew module separation from the ‘damaged vehicle’ will be simulated and Isro will take the module to a sufficiently far distance away from the possible catastrophe.Quote“...The CM is an open structure that will be unpressurised. Electronics will also be different too because it is just for the purpose of the abort. This will be repeated again,” Somanath said.Quote“...We had conducted PAT a few years ago, but beyond that the design has changed substantially, so the PAT is no longer valid. The complete system of the Gaganyaan crew module and CES has seen major changes, which means we have to repeat PAT,” Somanath said.
The mission — TV technology demonstrator-1 (TV-TD1) — will be the first of several such tests Isro plans to conduct before the first uncrewed mission under Gaganyaan. Planned for early August, the mission is expected to see the simulated crew module separate from the vehicle at a height of around 11km (from sea level), attain an altitude of around 15km before falling back to the Bay of Bengal. “This particular test takes the vehicle to a near-supersonic condition, that is past Mach-1 (speed of sound) condition. We will abort the mission, ask the CES to trigger the escape process and then the entire chain of events will happen on a short distance,” Isro chairman S Somanath told TOI.
Following this, crew module separation from the ‘damaged vehicle’ will be simulated and Isro will take the module to a sufficiently far distance away from the possible catastrophe.
“...The CM is an open structure that will be unpressurised. Electronics will also be different too because it is just for the purpose of the abort. This will be repeated again,” Somanath said.
“...We had conducted PAT a few years ago, but beyond that the design has changed substantially, so the PAT is no longer valid. The complete system of the Gaganyaan crew module and CES has seen major changes, which means we have to repeat PAT,” Somanath said.
From June 2023 monthly report: https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/Monthly_summary/Monthly_Summary_June2023_Eng.pdfQuoteTest Vehicle D1 Mission: Avionics deck assembly completed, Crew Module undergoing final integration activities at ISITE, Bangalore.Ground Resonance test for Crew escape system (CES) and Crew module (CM): All CES hardware positioned in SDSC-SHAR, CM integration is in advance stage.Orbital Module preparation facility(OMPF) fully realized for supporting TV-D1 mission integration activities.'Crew Module (CM) - Service Module (SM)' multi-point separation test successfully carried out.Service Module Propulsion system demonstration tests (Phase 2): All systems realized and integration activities completed for the test hardware. The test modules are positioned in Test stand.Shock survivability tests simulating sequential firing of all the pyros of the Apex region of Crew module successfully carried out.
Test Vehicle D1 Mission: Avionics deck assembly completed, Crew Module undergoing final integration activities at ISITE, Bangalore.Ground Resonance test for Crew escape system (CES) and Crew module (CM): All CES hardware positioned in SDSC-SHAR, CM integration is in advance stage.Orbital Module preparation facility(OMPF) fully realized for supporting TV-D1 mission integration activities.'Crew Module (CM) - Service Module (SM)' multi-point separation test successfully carried out.Service Module Propulsion system demonstration tests (Phase 2): All systems realized and integration activities completed for the test hardware. The test modules are positioned in Test stand.Shock survivability tests simulating sequential firing of all the pyros of the Apex region of Crew module successfully carried out.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1945447 [03 AUG 2023]QuoteDr Jitendra Singh today said, the first Test Vehicle mission, for the validation of crew escape system for Gaganyaan, the maiden human space flight mission of India is planned in August/September 2023.QuoteIn a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that all subsystems pertaining to Test Vehicle TV-D1 mission have been realized and the Crew module integration is completed. He also added that Static tests of all Crew Escape System motors have been completed as also Ground testing of Crew Module Propulsion system is completed. Training of crew (Astronauts) is nearing completion.
Dr Jitendra Singh today said, the first Test Vehicle mission, for the validation of crew escape system for Gaganyaan, the maiden human space flight mission of India is planned in August/September 2023.
In a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that all subsystems pertaining to Test Vehicle TV-D1 mission have been realized and the Crew module integration is completed. He also added that Static tests of all Crew Escape System motors have been completed as also Ground testing of Crew Module Propulsion system is completed. Training of crew (Astronauts) is nearing completion.
"The next mission after that [Aditya L1] will be the Gaganyaan abort mission demonstration. It could be in the end of September or the first week of October," Chief Somnath stated. This mission will showcase Isro's readiness for human spaceflight and is a significant milestone in the Gaganyaan programme.
Test Vehicle integration in progression at SHAR. Integration will take the full month of September. Being a new vehicles a number of verifications need to be done. Launch can be expected first-second week of October.
Aug 31, 2023The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tested drogue parachutes for the Gaganyaan mission in Aug. 2023. A rocket sled on rail tracks was used in the tests,Credit: ISRO
Test Vehicle schematic. Test Vehicle is a new rocket derived from GSLV Mk2 L40 booster.
The Test Vehicle D-1/Crew Escape System mission can be expected in the second half of October, Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, who is back in Thiruvananthapuram after the Aditya-L1 launch, told The Hindu. The unmanned test, which will be carried out in transonic speeds, is intended to demonstrate ISRO’s capability to safely recover the Gaganyaan crew in the event of an in-flight decision to abort the mission.
The test vehicle (TV-D1) is a single-stage vehicle derived from a single L-40 strap-on booster of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Atop it will perch the crew escape system-crew module configuration.
After lift-off from Sriharikota, the vehicle will soar to transonic conditions (Transonic speeds range from Mach 0.8 to 1.2). At around Mach 1.2 speed, the test vehicle propulsion will be shut down and the crew escape system will be activated by firing four high-altitude escape motors.“The escape system will separate with the crew module, and shortly afterwards, the crew module will be released. It will deploy multiple parachutes and splash down in the sea,’‘ Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair said.
The beauty of this expendable test vehicle, developed jointly by ISRO facilities, is that it has been designed as a ‘multi-utility vehicle’ which will serve as a platform for cost-effective testing of different technologies, he said. In future, the space agency also plans to use it for demonstrating rocket stage recovery capability and scramjet propulsion.
Another pic of Test Vehicle.
Quote from: vyoma on 09/05/2023 02:34 amAnother pic of Test Vehicle.It's funny how we're all more interested in the booster than in the crew capsule it's meant to get test-flown.
India plans crucial test in crewed space mission by OctoberBy Nivedita BhattacharjeeBENGALURU (Reuters) - India is set to conduct a key test in its ambitious crewed space mission Gaganyaan as early as next month, the project director of the mission R. Hutton told Reuters.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is currently training four astronauts and looking to expand the cohort as it aims for more future manned missions, Hutton said.The Gaganyaan mission is aimed at developing a human-habitable space capsule that will carry a three-member crew into an orbit of 400 km (250 miles) for three days, before returning to safety in a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean
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.https://www.isro.gov.in/First_Crew_Module_Gaganyaan_test_flight_TV_D1.html@indiannavy #Gaganyaan
#Update #Space #threadThe #Gaganyaan crew module (CM) — where astronauts will be contained in a pressurised Earth-like atmospheric condition during their flight — is under different stages of development. Isro gears up for first abort later this month. 1/nIsro chairman S Somanath had told me that the 1st Test Vehicle abort mission or #TVD1 will happen by the end of Oct. For this mission however, Isro’ll use an unpressurised CM which has completed its integration and testing and is ready to be shipped to the launch complex. 2/n“This unpressurised CM has to have an overall size and mass of actual Gaganyaan CM. It houses all the systems for the deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, actuation systems and pyros… 3/n…The avionics systems are in a dual redundant mode configuration for navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation and power,” Isro said. 4/nThe CM for TV-D1 has been designed to capture the flight data for evaluation of the performance of various systems. It will be recovered after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal, using a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy. 5/n“The TV-D1 is in the final stages of preparation. The vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket developed for this abort mission… 6/n…The payloads are the CM and the crew escape systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing (CMF) and interface adapters,” Isro said. 7/nThe mission will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 (1,482 kmph) expected to be encountered in the Gaganyaan mission. The CES with CM will be separated from the Test Vehicle at an altitude of about 17km. 8/n“Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10km from the coast of Sriharikota,” Isro said. 9/nThe CM after integration underwent various electrical testing in Bengaluru, including an acoustic test and was dispatched to Sriharikota on Aug 13 where it will undergo vibration tests and pre-integration with the CES, before final integration to Test Vehicle at launch pad. 10/n“This test vehicle mission with this CM is a significant milestone for the overall Gaganyaan programme as a near-complete system is integrated for a flight test… 11/n…The success of this test flight will set the stage for the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first Gaganyaan mission with Indian astronauts,” Isro added. n/n
India to conduct key test in crewed space mission on Oct 21October 10, 2023NEW DELHI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - India will conduct a key test in its ambitious space mission Gaganyaan on Oct. 21, launching an empty module into outer space and bringing it back to earth, deputy minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.[...]The test this month will be conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in southern India and will look at the efficacy of the crew escape system, which can be used to eject astronauts in emergencies.It will be followed by another test flight carrying a robot to outer space before the final manned mission takes place, the minister said."Before the ultimate manned 'Gaganyaan' mission, there will be a test flight next year, which will carry Vyommitra, the female robot astronaut," he said.While an exact timeline has not been shared, the main mission is expected to be launched from the country's main spaceport in Sriharikota before the end of 2024.Singh was speaking at a program to commend Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists associated with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land on the south pole of the moon.[...]
