New Delhi:

The Indian Space Research Organisation is setting its sights again on the Moon after a successful Chandrayaan-3 mission last year, but now it plans to send humans to the natural satellite.

Speaking to NDTV, ISRO chief S Somanath talked about the future missions and the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) India is building to take humans to the Moon. “We are building a new rocket called NGLV or ‘Soorya’. It is currently under design and will have a new engine based on LOx (Liquid Oxygen) and Methane. It will have liquid oxygen and methane engines for the lower stages, the upper stages will have a cryogenic engine.”

He added that ‘Soorya’, India’s mega-rocket, will be much bigger than the present ones. The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) payload capacity will be over 40 tonnes, this is very much required for human spaceflight missions. It is the Soorya rocket that will send India’s Gaganyatri to the lunar surface, hopefully by 2040.

The Pushpak Reusable Launch Vehicle

When asked about the Pushpak, the un-crewed, autonomous winged reusable launch, Mr Somanath said, “The first phase of Pushpak’s scaled-down version is over, with three successful safe landings, we are in the process of building a bigger version, which would be 1.6 times the scaled-down model. It will be tested on similar lines with landing first and it will be launched through a rocket to orbit. The focus has shifted there now.”

Mr Somanath added that it will be launched on a three-stage to the orbit. The ISRO chief also explained the value of the Pushpak vehicle and said, “It can take the payloads up and bring them back. The payload is more valuable than the rocket itself and because of that it is cost-effective. Deploying a satellite using Pushpak is not cost-effective, then you can use SSLV, PSLV, LMV-3 or GSLV. Using the reusable launch vehicle the endeavour would be to send a payload conduct experiments in orbit and bring it back then it has a lot of value.”

India’s First Space Station

On the first Indian Space Station, the ISRO chief told NDTV, “We are currently designing it. The space station’s first phase has to be built by 2028. We have completed or rather, engineered the detailed design, which is capable of being launched by the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3). So, in 2028, we will start by launching the first module.”

The ISRO chief also informed that his team has made the full project report and cost estimate for government approval. The space station will initially be developed and designed to handle robotic activity.

“It will only be robotics to start with because the process has to succeed and we have to build the capability for human spaceflight. A lot of confidence has to be built to operate for a long period. So, that will only happen in 2035. Until then, the space station will be developed and designed to handle robotic activity with an external robot mechanism,” he said.

Mr Somanath also mentioned that India might not participate in a global effort to replace the International Space Station if it is decommissioned.

“We are limited by our resources and efforts required. We have to be on equal footing to talk about it,” he said.

New Delhi:

Indian space agency ISRO today put its first test flight for its human spaceflight mission ‘Gaganyaan’ “on hold” 5 seconds from its scheduled launch time at 8:45 am IST.

“The test vehicle lift-off for the Gaganyaan mission could not happen,” ISRO chief S Somanath said minutes after the on-board computer aborted the lift-off of the rocket.

Today’s test flight was meant to carry various crew safety related payloads and conduct its necessary mission objectives as part of the first test in a series of tests scheduled by ISRO before the main mission taking Indian astronauts to space likely by the end of 2024.

The countdown began as intended and all went as expected till T-6 seconds when the rocket ignition kick-started six seconds before its intended lift-off schedule. Looking at this anomaly, the on-board computer immediately overrode the lift-off at T-5 seconds and put the mission “on hold”.

“The engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course,” ISRO chief S Somnath said in his statement following the incident, adding that “We have to find out what went wrong, will come back soon.”

“There was a very smooth air lift and automatic launch sequence leading up to the command to lift off, but the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course due to anomaly,” Mr Somanath said.

Mr Somnath mentioned that the “vehicle is completely safe”. He also said that ISRO will “come back soon after analysing what triggered the Automatic Launch Sequence (ALS) holding the vehicle.”

“We will have to reach the vehicle and then look at what has happened now,” Mr Somnath explained, adding that this process “takes some time”. However, ISRO shared an update soon after saying that the launch will happen at 10 am IST.

Earlier today, the test flight, which was originally scheduled for 0800 hrs (8 am IST) was rescheduled to 8:30 am and then again to 8:45 am IST “due to local weather conditions”.