NEW DELHI: The first batch of crew recovery team of Mission Gaganyaan, India’s first manned space mission, has completed Phase-1 of training at the Indian Navy’s Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) at Kochi.
“Utilising the state-of-the-art facility, the team of Indian Naval divers and marine commandos underwent recovery training of crew module in varied sea conditions,”the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
The training also validated the standard operating procedures formulated jointly by the Indian Navy and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the ministry added. The two-week training capsule covered a brief on the conduct of the mission, actions to be taken during medical exigencies and familiarisation with different aircraft and their rescue equipment.
The team trained at the Water Survival Training Facility in Kochi will now be involved in recovery of test launches planned by ISRO in the forthcoming months. On the concluding day, Dr Mohan M, director of ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre, oversaw the recovery demonstration and interacted with the team.
The first abort mission for India’s maiden human spaceflight, Gaganyaan, would be conducted at the end of August this year, while the unmanned mission to orbit would take place next year, ISRO chairman S Somanath said on Thursday.
The ‘launch abort system’ is a crew safety system designed to separate from the launch vehicle in case of an emergency. The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters. The budget of `9,023 crore is allocated towards achieving the mission objectives.
According to Somanath, the first abort mission for Gaganyaan would be conducted at the end of August this year, while the unmanned mission to orbit would take place next year. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh, said the scope of Gaganyaan programme is to demonstrate human spaceflight capability to Low Earth Orbit and safe return.
The ISRO is developing indigenous technologies for human-rated launch vehicle, habitable crew module, life support system, crew escape system, ground station network, crew training and recovery, he said.
These technologies are crucial to meet the objectives of the Gaganyaan mission and to take up further interplanetary missions, Singh said. According to Singh, the astronauts designated for the human space flight mission are identified and are currently undergoing their mission-specific training at Bengaluru.
ISRO selected four pilots from the Indian Air Force for the country’s first manned mission to space. These four pilots have joined as astronaut trainees and they are going through coursework and simulations.
The first semester of astronaut training has been completed, wherein they have undergone course modules on theoretical basics, space medicine, launch vehicles, spacecraft system and ground support infrastructure. Regular physical fitness sessions, aeromedical training and flying practice are also part of crew training. Corresponding evaluation and assessment activities have also been completed.