INDIA: The First Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) of the very ambitious manned space project Gaganyaan has been successfully launched, according to a statement released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday. An internal issue during the first attempt caused it to be temporarily halted, but it was eventually finished on the second try.
Earlier, the Gaganyaan Mission Test Flight Launch was postponed due to an irregularity detected by ground computers. However, ISRO promptly fixed the problem, and the test flight was launched successfully on the second try.
TV-D1 of Gaganyaan mission, faced a setback when the engines failed to ignite, causing the liftoff to be stopped just before the planned blast-off. ISRO chief S Somnath said that the ground computer detected non-conformance, which was easily identified and fixed.
The test aimed to ensure the crew could safely exit the rocket in case it malfunctioned during the launch. This was the first of several important tests planned in advance of the mission.
Somnath said that the vehicle slightly exceeded the speed of sound before activating the crew escape system and removing the crew module. ISRO chief added that all subsequent operations, including the sea touchdown, were executed flawlessly. After recovering the crew modules, more data and analysis will be returned for further investigation, he said.
This was the first of several important tests that ISRO intended to conduct in advance of its Gaganyaan mission, which will launch humans into space in 2025. Now that the TV-D1 test has been successfully launched, other unmanned missions, such as launching a robot into orbit next year, are possible.
What happened during the first attempt?
The liftoff of a rocket was halted and cancelled after five seconds due to an engine not igniting as planned. The ISRO declared the launch on hold, and Chief Somanath stated that the delay was due to ground computers carrying out the task and the ignition of the engine not going as planned.
ISRO’s head has announced that the space agency will identify the issues that prevented the launch, stating that the launch vehicle is safe.
“We will come back soon… the computer which is doing function has withheld the launch, we will correct it and reschedule the launch soon,” he added.
Also Read: India’s Gaganyaan Mission Prepares for First Crew Escape System Test
