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How will tests ‘SOLVE’ Gaganyaan astronauts safe landing | Explained

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:11:00 +0000

The ground test of the SOLVE solid motor being conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The story so far: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 3 successfully conducted the ground test of the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) solid motor at the Static Test Facility, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This test is another important event in the preparation for India’s human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.

What is SOLVE?

ISRO is developing a solid motor based SOLVE as a test platform to carry out Integrated Parachute Tests for validation of deceleration system of Gaganyaan’s Crew Module under various test conditions. The solid stage of SOLVE is derived from ISRO’s workhorse rocket the Polar Satellite Lunch Vehicle (PSLV) Strap-on Motor.

Generally the PSLV uses six, four and two solid rocket strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage in different variants of the PSLV like XL, QL and DL respectively. However for SOLVE the space agency had made a few modifications to meet the Gaganyaan test requirements which includes development of slow burn rate propellant and straight nozzle with secondary injection thrust vector control. Besides, this is a sub-orbital launch vehicle and unlike the traditional PSLV which can launch satellites in Low Earth Orbits, Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits.

What will SOLVE test?

Using SOLVE as a test platform ISRO in the future will carry out numerous tests for the Gaganyaan mission where in various conditions would be simulated to resemble the actual mission. As part of the test missions ISRO is looking to certify many vital systems like deceleration system, crew escape system, crew module propulsion systems. During these test missions, the Crew Module will be carried to an altitude of 10 – 17 km and separated from the vehicle. A series of 10 parachutes will be deployed to reduce the velocity of the Crew Module before splashdown in the sea. The Crew Module is where the astronauts would be in a pressurized earthlike atmospheric condition during the Gaganyaan mission.

Why are these tests important for Gaganyaan?

The Gaganyaan is envisaged to launch a crew of three members to low earth orbit and bring them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea waters. The mission has three important phases which are the ascent phase, orbital phase and descent phase.

In the ascent phase the human rated launch vehicle will carry the Orbital Module that will be Orbiting Earth comprising Crew Module and Service Module to a low earth orbit. This will be followed by the orbital phase wherein the Orbital Module is injected into an elliptical orbit by the launch vehicle. The final phase is the descent phase which activates when the de-boost maneuvers are initiated to steer the module towards the designated touchdown location. During this phase a series of activities are carried out following which the three day mission will finally culminate with a low-velocity splash down at a designated location in sea waters.

While all phases are crucial in particular the ascent and descent are very important and involve a lot of risk. Slightest errors or deviation could risk the astronauts lives which is why various tests are carried out to ensure that they are fool proof and the parachute deployment takes place as planned.

ISRO said that the development of the SOLVE vehicle provides flexibility in conducting Gaganyaan Test Missions simulating various conditions in the actual mission. These tests further validate the parachute-based deceleration system of the Crew Module for Gaganyaan mission in actual mission scenarios.

What are Gaganyaan’s deceleration systems?

The Gaganyaan mission employs a parachute-based deceleration system during the descent phase to reduce the touchdown velocity of Crew Module to an acceptable limit for ensuring its safe landing in the sea waters. The deceleration system of Gaganyaan Crew Module comprises a total of 10 parachutes of four types. According to the space agency the descent sequence begins with two apex cover separation parachutes that remove the protective cover of the parachute compartment, followed by two drogue parachutes that stabilize and decelerate the module. Upon release of the drogues, three pilot parachutes are deployed to extract three main parachutes, which further slow down the Crew Module to ensure a safe touchdown.

What are the other tests?

Apart from the SOLVE, ISRO has also carried out two Integrated Air Drop Tests (IADT), one last year and another one this year. These tests are part of system level qualification of parachute-based deceleration system, in which a dummy Crew Module, encompassing the deceleration system is dropped using a helicopter. In these tests a simulated Crew Module was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about 3 km and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast. However unlike IADT where the Crew Module is dropped off from an altitude of about 3 km, during the SOLVE test missions, the Crew Module will be carried to an altitude of 10-17 km and then dropped off from the vehicle.

Published – July 06, 2026 10:41 am IST

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ISRO Conducts ‘Well Deck’ Recovery Trial Of Gaganyaan With Navy

admin — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 17:14:36 +0000

Gaganyaan is India’s first human space mission. (File Photo)

Bengaluru:

ISRO on Tuesday said it carried out ‘well deck’ recovery trials of the Gaganyaan with the Indian Navy on December 6.

The trials were carried out at Eastern Naval Command using a ‘well deck’ ship off the coast of Vishakhapatnam, ISRO said in a statement.

The space agency said the well deck in a ship can be flooded with water so that boats, landing crafts, recovered spacecraft can be taken inside to dock within the ship.

Once the Crew Module touches down in the sea at the end of the mission, crew have to be recovered in the minimum possible time and with the least discomfort, it said.

One of the preferred options is to tow the Crew Module along with the crew inside the well deck of the ship where the crew can come out comfortably, ISRO explained.

It said that the trials for well deck recovery were carried out using a mass and shape-simulated Crew Module Mock-up.

The sequence of operations for well deck recovery of Crew Module was carried out by Indian Navy and ISRO during the trials. The sequence includes the attachment of the recovery buoy, towing, entering into the well deck ship, positioning of Crew Module on the fixture and draining of the well-deck, ISRO said.

“This trial validated the overall sequence of operations, ground fixtures and will help in fine tuning Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This trial is part of the series of recovery trials being carried out by Indian Navy and ISRO to finalise the SOPs for recovery operations for nominal as well as off-nominal conditions,” the Indian space agency explained.

Gaganyaan, which is among the projects approved by the Union Cabinet, is India’s first human space mission.

Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath in September said that this mission will be ready for launch by the end of 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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ISRO chief Somnath says space agency prefers woman fighter test pilots for its crewed mission, possible in future

admin — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 10:18:48 +0000

October 22, 2023 03:48 pm | Updated October 23, 2023 09:35 pm IST – Thiruvananthapuram

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its Gaganyaan mission, the space agency chief S. Somanath said. File
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

ISRO prefers woman fighter test pilots or female scientists for its much-awaited human space flight programme Gaganyaan mission and it is possible to send them in the future, the space agency chief S. Somanath said on Sunday.

He also said ISRO would send a female humanoid – a robot that resembles a human – in its unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft next year. The ambitious mission aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km for three days and bring them safely back to the Earth.

“No doubt about it…but we have to find out such possible (women) candidates in the future,” Somanath told PTI over phone in response to a query.

Also read:Gaganyaan: The mission to send Indians to space is on track

His statement came a day after the ISRO successfully launched its TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan.

He said the manned mission is expected by 2025 and that it will be a short duration mission.

“Right now, the initial candidates are to be from Air Force fighter test pilots…they are a bit different category. Right now, we are not having women fighter test pilots. So, once they come, that is one route,” the Chairman said.

The second option was when there would be more scientific activity, he said.

“Then, scientists will come as astronauts. So, at that time, I believe that more possibilities for women are there. Currently, possibilities are lesser because there are no women fighter test pilots,” Mr. Somanath explained.

To a question, he said the ISRO’s target is to put a fully operational space station by 2035.

ISRO had successfully launched TV-D1 test vehicle ahead of the human space flight mission Gaganyaan on Saturday.

After overcoming initial hiccups including delays, the space agency successfully launched the test vehicle with payloads related to the country’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme.

Scientists simulated an abort situation for the Crew Escape System to carry the Crew Module of the test vehicle out as they made a splash into the Bay of Bengal with planned precision.

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Gaganyaan mission: ISRO completes key engine test

admin — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 16:51:06 +0000

ISRO has successfully completed the CE20 E13 engine hot test for the Gaganyaan qualification and 22-tonne thrust qualification.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the CE20 E13 engine hot test for the Gaganyaan qualification and 22-tonne thrust qualification.

The engine was tested at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri on September 22.

The CE20 engine is a vital component, serving as the powerhouse of the Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) responsible for propelling the upper stage (C25) of the LVM3 vehicle. It has demonstrated its capability by successfully operating at a thrust level of 19 tonnes in six successive LVM3 missions, including the Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two commercial OneWeb missions.

Also read: Explained | After Chandrayaan-3, what has ISRO planned?

“To enhance the payload capacity of the LVM3 vehicle, ISRO is upgrading the CE20 engine. The upper cryogenic stage is being transformed into the C32 stage with increased propellant loading capacity, and the engine is being modified to operate at a higher thrust level of 22 tonnes. To ensure the engine’s readiness for critical missions, a series of ground hot tests were deemed necessary. The CE20 engine hardware referred to as E13 was selected for both Gaganyaan qualification and 22-tonne thrust level operations,” the space agency said.

The journey to achieving a 22-tonne thrust capability began with E13 HT-01, a test focused on engine tuning, successfully conducted for a 50-second duration. This initial test set the stage for the upcoming trials. E13 HT-02 marked a significant milestone, conducted on August 3, with the engine operating flawlessly for an impressive 720 seconds. This test demonstrated the engine’s reliability and stability.

“The third hot test, E13 HT-03, was the pivotal moment in completing the CE20 engine qualification for the Gaganyaan program. On September 22, this test was conducted at the state-of-the-art test facility located at IPRC, Mahendragiri. During this test, the CE20 engine operated at the coveted 22-tonne thrust level for a duration of 670 seconds. Both the engine and the testing facility performed flawlessly, meeting all the performance parameters,” ISRO said.

It added that the successful completion of E13 HT-03 signifies the culmination of rigorous testing and the readiness of the CE20 engine for the Gaganyaan program. “With all the necessary tests completed, the CE20 engine is now poised for the demanding requirements of the Gaganyaan mission and future endeavours,” it added.

The Test Vehicle D-1/Crew Escape System mission of the Gaganyaan mission is likely to be conducted in the last week of October.

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