What did ISRO accomplish recently?
On October 21, ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organization, completed a successful mission known as TV-D1 (Test Vehicle Demonstration 1). It was one of the many tests ISRO needed to do before launching the Gaganyaan Mission.
The main goal of the TV-D1 mission was to check if a system called the crew escape system works properly. This system is crucial to ensure the crew's safety in case of a rocket explosion.
They tested the escape system when the rocket was 12-16 kilometres above the ground. This system separated the crew's space capsule from the rocket. Then, they used a series of parachutes to safely bring the crew capsule down to the water in the Bay of Bengal.
The Indian Navy's divers and ships were there to rescue the crew capsule from the sea and bring it back to the shore. The capsule had many cameras and instruments to collect important data, which will help ISRO plan its future test missions.
What is the Gaganyaan Mission?
The Gaganyaan Mission is a plan to send three astronauts up into space, not too far from Earth, about 400 kilometres up. They will stay there for three days and then come back. "Gaganyaan" means "vehicle to the sky" in Sanskrit. This mission is set to happen in 2025, but before that, ISRO needs to finish all its test missions.
If India is able to complete this mission, it will become the fourth country (after Russia, the US, and China) to send people into space. The Gaganyaan Mission is also a big step toward reaching a goal set by India's Prime Minister: to have an Indian space station in space by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040.
When will the next Gaganyaan test flight take place?
In 2024, ISRO plans to do another practice mission for the Gaganyaan project. This time, they will send a female humanoid robot named 'Vyomitra' into space. The word 'Vyommitra' means 'space friend' in Sanskrit.
This robot can do many important tasks in space, e.g. keeping an eye on things inside the spacecraft, sending warnings, and helping with things that keep astronauts safe. It can even recognise and have conversations with astronauts. The idea is that Vyomitra will act like a human in space, and this will help ISRO prepare for the real Gaganyaan mission.
