Isro commences Gaganyaan-G1 launch campaign

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Wednesday started assembling the LVM3 launch vehicle, which India will be using for un-manned flights ahead of the upcoming manned flight to the space. later this year.

Human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3), India’s first launch vehicle rated for human flight, is being assembled at the Satish Dhavan Space Centre (SDSC) at Shriharikotta, in Andhra Pradesh.

On Day 1, Isro employees completed the stacking of the nozzle of the S200 motor, commencing the official launch campaign of the HLVM3-G1 / OM-1 mission.

This will be followed by the incorporation of the two S200 motors and the assembly of the control systems and avionics. Besides, the L110 and C32 stages and the crew escape system are also kept ready. 

The various centres of Isro are currently carrying out final checks on the crew module and associated systems.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is currently working on the integration of the crew module while URSC, Bangalore is working on integration of the service module, which will be followed by the integration of the orbital module (OM).

The human rated launch vehicle (HLVM3) is designed to meet utmost human safety and includes a crew escape system (CES) to ensure safe ejection even in adverse situations. This can be operated from the launch pad till its separation. 

HLVM3 is a three-stage rocket, which is 53 metres tall and has a weight of 640 kg, It can carry a payload of about 10 tonnes to a low earth orbit (LEO).

The development comes exactly ten years after LVM3-X, on 18 December 2014, placed a 3,775 kg experimental crew module (LVM3-X/CARE mission) on a suborbital altitude of 126 km and brought back in a controlled descend using thrusters and parachutes. The Indian Coast Guard recovered the space craft from the Bay of Bengal, about 1,600 km off from SDSC-SHAR, on the same day.