Gaganyaan

Gaganyaan

Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-III: Awareness in the field of Space – Space Missions

• India’s 1st Human spaceflight programme to be launched by 2023.
• It will include two unmanned flights to be launched in December 2020 and July 2021 and one human space flight to be launched in December 2021.
• It will carry 3 astronauts to a low earth orbit of 300 to 400 kilometres on board GSLV Mark III vehicle, for at least 7 days.
• It will make India the 4th country to send manned mission after the Russia, USA and China.

Components of Gaganyaan

• Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
• Rocket: GSLV Mk-III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle
• Gaganyaan system module, called the Orbital Module – will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days
• The payload:
  • Crew module – spacecraft carrying human beings.
  • Service module – powered by two liquid propellant engines.
• The crew members will be selected by the IAF and ISR.
• Crew will perform micro-gravity and other scientific experiments for a week.

Crew Module Atmospheric Re-Entry Technology – Care

• Satellites that are launched for communication or remote sensing are meant to remain in space. However, a manned spacecraft needs to come back.
• While re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft needs to withstand very high temperatures created due to friction.
• A prior critical experiment was carried out in 2014 along with GSLV MK-III when the CARE (Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment) capsule successfully demonstrated that it could survive atmospheric re-entry.

Potential of this mission

• Employment generation of around 15,000.
• Technological advancement will enhance India’s standing in the world given only few countries have achieved this feat (USA, Russia, China)
• Inspire nation’s youth to take up scientific research. Can even attract foreign talent.
• Increase foreign investment in the field leading to better infrastructure.
• Using ‘space’ as a tool in foreign policy and diplomacy.
• Bringing in innovative transportation systems.
• Resources to mankind: The ISRO is looking to tap Helium which is present in abundance on the Moon through its future missions which will be very useful for clean nuclear power generation.
• Technological spin-offs from the mission to have positive impact on various sectors like telecom, power.

Other upcoming Missions by ISRO

• RICAT-1A PSLV C5-2 scheduled for February 2022
• OCEANSAT-3
• INS 2B ANAND PSLV C-53 to be launched in March 2022
• SSLV-D1 Micro SAT in April 2022

News Source: PIB