In preparation for its first human spaceflight (Gaganyaan), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), along with the Navy, started training for crew module recovery when it splashes down in the sea after re-entering the atmosphere. A large number of trials will be carried out – first in a closed pool and then in the open sea – to finalise the standard operating procedure for the recovery of the crew members as soon as possible. The trials commenced Tuesday at the water survival test facility of the Navy in Kochi. The Kochi facility can simulate different sea state conditions, environmental conditions, and day or night conditions. During the trials, the flight crew will experience realistic training for escape from a ditched craft under varied simulated conditions and crash scenarios. The space agency said these trials would provide valuable inputs for utilising the recovery accessories. Feedback will also be taken from the recovery teams and trainers to improve the recovery options, design any accessory needed, and finalise a training plan, the space agency said in a statement. The current trials are being conducted using a crew module recovery model that simulates the mass, centre of gravity, outer dimensions, and the external state of the actual crew module at touchdown. The crew module will be the habitable part of the Gaganyaan spacecraft that will have pressurisation and life support systems for the crew members. In contrast, the service module will be an unpressurised structure containing the propulsion system, power systems, and avionics to support the crew module during the mission. The spacecraft will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere after orbiting around it. The entire structure – the crew and service module – will then be turned around, returning to the ground bottom first, with the thrusters being used to reduce the craft’s velocity before it hits the water. The space agency will carry out two unmanned flights under the mission before flying the first astronauts to space. ISRO will use an unpressurised crew module for its first uncrewed flight and the test vehicle project – a single-stage launch vehicle used to test the crew escape system while in flight. A pressured crew module will be used for the second unmanned mission and the first human spaceflight.
