ISRO on course to commence unmanned flight tests of Gaganyaan mission
Bengaluru (PTI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday said it is on course to commence unmanned flight tests for the country's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, and preparations are underway for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1).
In a post on social media platform 'X, the space agency said, "ISRO to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission. Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway."
According to ISRO, the first development flight Test Vehicle (TV-D1) is in the final stages of preparation.
Officials had earlier indicated that TV-D1 launch is likely by this month-end.
The Test Vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket developed for this abort mission. The payloads consist of the Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape Systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors, along with CM fairing (CMF) and Interface Adapters.
This flight will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 encountered in the Gaganyaan mission, it said.
"CES with CM will be separated from the Test Vehicle at an altitude of about 17 km. Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10 km from the coast of Sriharikota," ISRO said.
The CM, after integration underwent various electrical testing at ISRO's facility in Bengaluru, including an acoustic test, and was dispatched to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (SDSC SHAR) on August 13.
At Satish Dhawan Space Centre, it will undergo vibration tests and pre-integration with the Crew Escape System, before final integration to the Test Vehicle at the launch pad.
This Test Vehicle mission with this crew module is a significant milestone for the overall Gaganyaan programme as a near-complete system is integrated for a flight test, ISRO said, adding that the success of this test flight will set the stage for the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission with Indian astronauts.
CM is where the astronauts are contained in a pressurised earthlike atmospheric condition during the Gaganyaan space mission. The CM for the Gaganyaan mission is in different stages of development.
For the TV-D1, the CM is an unpressurised version that has completed its integration and testing and is ready to be shipped to the launch complex.
This unpressurised CM version has to have an overall size and mass of actual Gaganyaan CM, the space agency said, adding it houses all the systems for the deceleration and recovery.
"With its complete set of parachutes, recovery aids actuation systems and pyros. The avionics systems in CM are in a dual redundant mode configuration for navigation, sequencing, telemetry, instrumentation and power. The CM in this mission is extensively instrumented to capture the flight data for evaluation of the performance of various systems," it said.
The CM will be recovered after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal, using a dedicated vessel and diving team from the Indian Navy.
Mission Gaganyaan:
— ISRO (@isro) October 7, 2023
ISRO to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission.
Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway.https://t.co/HSY0qfVDEH @indiannavy #Gaganyaan pic.twitter.com/XszSDEqs7w
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Mamata blames EC for 'failing to protect' judicial officers gheraoed over voter name deletion
Sagardighi (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed the Election Commission for "failing to protect" judicial officers engaged in the SIR exercise in West Bengal's Malda district.
Seven judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were rescued by security forces after protesters gheraoed them for several hours on Wednesday over the deletion of names from the electoral rolls.
"I condemn the Election Commission for failing to protect the judicial officers," Banerjee said, addressing an election rally here in Murshidabad district.
Claiming that the EC posted its own officers in civil and police administration after announcement of assembly polls in the state, Banerjee accused the poll body of having "totally failed to control law and order".
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Several officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police (DGP), were replaced in West Bengal soon after the assembly polls were announced by the Election Commission.
"All my powers have been taken away, I have never seen such an Election Commission," the chief minister said.
Banerjee claimed that the BJP's game plan is to get the assembly polls cancelled in Bengal and to get President's Rule imposed.
"There are communal people in the BJP, and some communal people have also entered your ranks," Banerjee said, addressing the rally.
She claimed that such people flew in from Hyderabad with money from the BJP and are trying to divide the Muslim votes in the state.
