Gaganyaan Mission: Test Vehicle Successfully Recovers

ISRO's crew escape system demonstrates flawless performance in high-altitude abort test, paving way for human spaceflight.

The Indian Space Research Organisation achieved a major milestone today with the successful recovery of the Gaganyaan Test Vehicle (TV-D1) following a simulated crew abort scenario at maximum aerodynamic pressure.

The test vehicle was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and reached an altitude of 17 kilometers before the crew escape system activated. The crew module separated cleanly, deployed its parachutes sequentially, and splashed down in the Bay of Bengal, where it was recovered by the Indian Navy.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath expressed satisfaction with the results: 'All systems performed nominally. The crew escape system is now validated for the full flight envelope. This brings us significantly closer to our goal of sending Indian astronauts to space.'

The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capability through a 3-day orbital mission carrying three astronauts. Four Indian Air Force pilots are currently undergoing training in Russia for the mission.