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First Gaganyaan test flight launch likely in December: ISRO chief S Somanath
ISRO chief S Somanath said that the organisation is aiming to launch the first test flight of Gaganyaan by December 2024.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is aiming to launch the first test flight of the Gaganyaan mission by December of this year, said ISRO chairman S Somanath in Sriharikota. The official announcement came after the successful launch of the third and final developmental flight of the SSLV, placing the Earth Observation Satellite into orbit on Friday.
Somanath said that some of the rocket hardware for the human space programme has reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and the integration of the crew module was going on at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
"Today, we are working on the first mission of the Gaganyaan called G1. The first unmanned mission. The status today is the rocket, the S200 stage, the L1, C32 stage are all at Satish Dhawan Space Centre," he said.
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He said the Crew Module integration was going on at VSSC Trivandrum while Crew Escape hardware was also ready. "So, we have to complete with full wiring and testing should be done. Our target is by November the whole system will reach here, possibly by December launch will happen," he said, responding to a query.
Gaganyaan is ISRO's orbital spacecraft, and the mission is the next step towards the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The spacecraft is designed to carry three people, while the upgraded version of the same is expected to have docking capabilities.
This will be ISRO's first crewed mission, in which the Gaganyaan spacecraft will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days, with a crew of two or three astronauts on board.
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Meanwhile, the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) was launched on Friday, placing the EOS in orbit and achieving a major feat for India's space programme. The success of the third and final developmental flight of the SSLV paves the way for the launch of commercial missions using the smallest vehicle by ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).
Some of the unique features of SSLVs are -- they provide low-cost access to Space, offer low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, 'launch on demand' feasibility and SSLV missions demand minimal launch infrastructure.
