Space
Gaganyaan mission
- ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan stated that approximately 90% of the development work on the Gaganyaan mission has been completed.
- The mission to launch Indian astronauts into space is planned for 2027.
- Objectives: Demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability by launching crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km (Low Earth Orbit) for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
- Components of the Gaganyaan Mission
- The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3): Formerly known as the GSLV Mk-III
- It is a three-stage rocket with:
- First stage: Two solid-fuel boosters strapped to the rocket core.
- Second stage: Powered by two liquid-fuelled, clustered Vikas 2 engines
- Third stage: Equipped with the CE-20 indigenous cryogenic engine, using liquid hydrogen
and liquid oxygen as fuel and oxidiser, respectively. - Prior to the crewed mission, ISRO plans to undertake three uncrewed missions.
- The first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan, featuring the female humanoid Vyommitra, is expected to take flight by the end of this year.
- Two additional uncrewed missions, G-2 and G-3, are also scheduled for launch next year to further validate systems
