India’s ambitious Gaganyaan program is all set to take off in 2023. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced that it will launch two missions as part of the program, which is aimed at sending astronauts into space.
The Gaganyaan Program
The Gaganyaan program is India’s first manned mission to space. The program was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 and aims to send Indian astronauts into space by 2022. However, due to various delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch has been postponed to 2023. The program is being led by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has a long history of successful space missions.
The program consists of two parts – the unmanned missions and the manned mission. Unmanned missions are meant to test the systems and technologies required for a manned mission. The first unmanned mission, Gaganyaan-1, was launched in December 2020 and successfully completed its mission. The second unmanned mission, Gaganyaan-2, is scheduled to be launched.
The manned mission, Gaganyaan-3, is the most ambitious part of the program. The mission will send a crew of three Indian astronauts into space for a period of five to seven days. The astronauts will be launched into space onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk III rocket, which is capable of carrying a payload of up to 10,000 kg. The spacecraft that will carry the astronauts is being developed by ISRO and will be a modified version of the Crew Module that was used in the first unmanned mission.
The Missions
The first of the two missions that ISRO is set to launch under the Gaganyaan program in 2023 is the Human Spaceflight Demonstration Mission (HSDM). The HSDM is a crucial step in preparing for the manned mission, as it will test the systems and technologies required for human spaceflight. The HSDM will consist of an uncrewed spacecraft, which will be launched into space onboard the GSLV Mk III rocket. The spacecraft will be monitored from the ground, and the mission will last for five to seven days.
The second mission is the Gaganyaan-3, which is a manned mission. The mission will send three Indian astronauts into space for a period of five to seven days. The mission will be launched onboard the GSLV Mk III rocket and will be monitored from the ground. The astronauts will undergo extensive training before the mission, including physical and mental conditioning, and simulated spaceflight.
