ISRO Gears Up For India's First Manned Space Mission With Initial Recovery Trials Of Crew Module

The Indian Space Research Organisation, along with Indian Navy, carried out initial recovery trials of Crew Module in the Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) as part of preparations for the Gaganyaan mission.

The Gaganyaan mission is India's first human spaceflight mission and is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024.

A Crew Module Recovery Model (CMRM) that simulates the mass, center of gravity, outer dimensions, and externals of the actual Crew Module at touchdown was used for the trials at WSTF of Navy at Kochi in Kerala, the ISRO said.

The sequence of operations required for the recovery of the Crew Module were carried out as part of the trials.

The trials were part of the preparation for crew module recovery operations for the Gaganyaan mission that will be carried out in Indian waters with the participation of Indian Government agencies, the overall recovery operations being led by Indian Navy, the Indian space agency said.

"As the safe recovery of the crew is the final step to be accomplished for any successful human spaceflight, it is of paramount importance and it has to be carried out with the minimum lapse of time. Hence the recovery procedures for various scenarios need to be extensively practiced by carrying out a large number of trials. The Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) for recovery of Crew and Crew Module need to be finalised," the ISRO said.

The recovery trials will be initially carried out in a closed pool followed by trials in a harbor and in the open sea, it added.

"The operations carried out on 7 February 2023, form the initial recovery trials of Crew Module in a closed pool. Different phases of recovery trials starting with the recovery of the Crew Module to the flight crew training are planned at WSTF," the space agency said.

WSTF is a state-of-the-art facility of the Indian Navy that provides realistic training of aircrew for escape from a ditched aircraft under varied simulated conditions and crash scenarios.

The facility simulates different sea state conditions, environmental conditions, and day/night conditions.

According to the ISRO, these trials assist in validating the SoP, and training recovery teams as well as the flight crew.

"They provide valuable inputs for the utilization of recovery accessories. The feedback from the recovery team/trainers helps improve the recovery operations SoP, design various recovery accessories, and finalise the training plan," it said.

(With inputs from PTI)