Gaganyaan Mission – Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02)

Why in News?

Recently, ISRO successfully conducted the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for India’s first human spaceflight mission.

• Mission Name – Gaganyaan
• Aim – To demonstrate India’s capability to send humans to space and bring them back safely.
• Crew – 3 Vyomnauts (space sailors) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 400 km altitude.
• Mission Duration – 3 days.
• Return – Safe splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
• Launch Vehicle – Human-rated GSLV Mk III (HLV), renamed LVM3.
• Launch Site – Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Planned Timeline – Early 2027.
• India will join the US, Russia, and China as nations with human spaceflight capability.
• Orbital Module (OM) – It is the spacecraft that will orbit Earth in the Gaganyaan mission.
• It has 2 main parts.
  •  Crew Module (CM) – Astronauts’ living capsule, survives re-entry.
  • Habitable space with Earth-like environment, double-walled with Thermal Protection System (TPS), houses crew interfaces, life support, avionics, and deceleration systems.
  • Service Module (SM) – Provides propulsion, power, thermal management, and avionics support.
• Test Procedure – Lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to 3 km altitude and released over a designated drop zone in the sea near Sriharikota coast.
• Parachute Deployment – 10 parachutes of 4 types deployed in sequence to reduce velocity for safe touchdown.
• Recovery – Coordinated successfully with the Indian Navy.

Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC)

• HSFC – It is the lead division of the ISRO responsible for implementing the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, specifically the Gaganyaan mission.
• Mission led – Primary hub managing the Gaganyaan project for crewed orbital flight.
• Crew Management – Handles astronaut selection, health monitoring, and training in Bengaluru.
• Life Support – Develops ECLSS technology to provide air, water, and pressure in space.
• Safety Testing – Manages the Vyommitra humanoid robot to test systems before human flight.
• Future Vision – Leads planning for the Indian Space Station and crewed lunar missions.
• Agencies Involved
  • ISRO – Mission lead.
  • Indian Air Force – Helicopter support.
  • Indian Navy – Recovery operations.
  • DRDO – Technical support.

References

1. ISRO | Gaganyaan
2. The Hindu | Gaganyaan