Gaganyaan's first test flight lifts-off from Sriharikota in 2nd attempt

ISRO has successfully launched the TV-D1 test vehicle in 2nd attempt at 10 am from Sriharikota. The Gaganyaan mission's ultimate goal is to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400km for a three-day mission and safely return them to Earth in 2025. The upcoming launch involves the Test Vehicle - Demonstration (TV-D1), a significant milestone for the Gaganyaan program, as it integrates a nearly complete system for testing. The crew module and the crew escape system, which are integral parts of the rocket, will capture flight data to evaluate various systems' performance.During the test flight, the crew module will gather crucial data, enabling scientists to assess the vehicle's performance.

The test flight sequence is expected to be brief, with the Test Vehicle Abort Mission (TV-D1) launching the crew escape system and crew module at an altitude of 17 km. These components are anticipated to make a safe touchdown in the sea, approximately 10 km from Sriharikota on India's eastern coast. The Navy will retrieve them from the Bay of Bengal after landing.This successful test flight is pivotal, setting the stage for subsequent qualification tests and uncrewed missions. ISRO emphasized that the insights gained from this mission are crucial for ensuring the safety of astronauts who will eventually travel in the crew module aboard the LVM-3 rocket during the Gaganyaan mission.