NEW DELHI (AP) — India achieved a major milestone on Saturday with the successful completion of the first in a series of crucial test flights, marking a significant step towards its planned mission to send astronauts into space by 2025, according to the country’s space agency.
Undergoing a technical glitch before the launch, the test involved the successful launch of a space module and its safe return to Earth in order to assess the spacecraft’s crew escape system. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath stated that the module was recovered after landing in the Bay of Bengal.
The initial launch was delayed by 45 minutes due to unfavorable weather conditions. Additionally, an engine issue caused a further delay of over an hour, as the ground computer halted the lift-off. Somanath revealed that the glitch, caused by a monitoring anomaly in the system, was rectified. Consequently, the test was executed successfully 75 minutes later from the Sriharikota satellite launching station in southern India.
This successful test flight sets the stage for future unmanned missions, including the planned launch of a robot into space next year.
September witnessed India’s prosperous launch of its first space mission aimed at studying the sun, barely two weeks after a successful uncrewed landing near the south pole region of the moon.
Following an unsuccessful moon landing attempt in 2019, India became the fourth country, alongside the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, to achieve this significant feat last month.
This triumphant mission showcased India’s rising status as a technological and space powerhouse. It aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aspiration to establish India as an influential country in the global arena.
Highlighting India’s future space ambitions, Prime Minister Modi recently announced plans for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to establish an Indian-crafted space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040.
With a space program that has been active since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for both itself and other countries. In 2014, India successfully placed a satellite in orbit around Mars. Additionally, a collaborative mission with the United States is scheduled for next year, marking India’s maiden voyage to the International Space Station.
