The vehicle, built at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), is slated to be ready by the end of this year, and Isro is planning at least one flight before the planned unmanned mission, which is now slated for mid-2022.
VSSC Director S Somnath told TOI: “… The design work at CES has been completed and all reviews have been completed. Most of the systems in the test vehicle have been implemented and the vehicle is in the integration phase and should be ready by the end of this year. The entire CES has to be tested a few times before we put it on unmanned flight. ”
Isro’s chairman K. Sivan said the new vehicle will be used to ensure that there is a flawless crew escape mechanism, which is a very important aspect of Gaganyaan as it helps during the trip or during the flight Stay of the astronauts to cope with any emergency.
As TOI first reported last year, the vehicle is built for the crew to escape during the flight. The drive is on top of the crew module so that by lifting the module it can pull the crew away and move them to a safe location.
“We check at least one test vehicle mission before the unmanned mission. The vehicle is intended for testing a crash. During the flight, we may have to cancel at various stages, such as: B. high back pressure, critical flight events, etc. The test vehicle is used to test abortions up to the first phase of the flight. It won’t go into orbit, ”Sivan explained.
Crew module & GSLV-Mk3
In addition to the CES and the test vehicle, VSSC is responsible for the GSLV-Mk3 – the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan – and some elements of the crew module.
“All of the design work on the launcher has been completed and we have started testing. The L110 and C25 engines have completed the first stage tests and further tests are ongoing. The solids booster S-200 is being prepared for static tests and we should be ready soon. The general qualification work is in progress. There is a lot of activity: The entire electronics are being revised, we are building higher redundancies. The health management of the vehicle system design is complete. Prototyping and testing will begin shortly, ”said Somnath.
Sivan pointed out that VSSC is also responsible for the structural design of the crew module, but said that all systems within the module – avionics, control systems, computers, sensors, etc. – and the service module will be built by the UR Rao Satellite Center (URSAC) , while several centers will contribute to the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS).
“For the ECLSS, which is a very important part of the crew module, the LPSC (Liquid Propulsion Systems Center) will have a great responsibility. They will build the pressure control system, while VSSC will build the thermal control system and SAC (Space Applications Center) will develop the crew display, instrumentation, etc., ”Sivan said.
He added that the design phase of the crew module has been completed and that various centers have already started manufacturing the systems.
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