India’s space agency successfully conducted a test flight for its planned mission to send astronauts into space in 2025. The Gaganyaan spacecraft was launched from Sriharikota on Saturday after the first attempt was put on hold. The purpose of the test was to demonstrate the crew’s ability to safely escape the rocket in case of a malfunction. The successful launch will open the way for unmanned missions and the potential launch of a manned mission in 2025. Named after the Sanskrit word for “vehicle to the sky,” the Gaganyaan project has been developed at a cost of $1 billion. The spacecraft aims to send astronauts to an orbit of 400km and bring them back after three days, making India the fourth country to send humans into space. It is crucial for the space agency to demonstrate the safe return of humans before proceeding further. The launch was delayed for 45 minutes due to weather issues, and a hold command was issued five seconds before launch due to a system anomaly that was quickly corrected. A crew escape system was tested to ensure the safety of the astronauts. After the launch, parachutes were deployed for the module’s descent into the Bay of Bengal. The Indian navy will recover the module and bring it back to shore. The next test flight scheduled for next year will carry a humanoid robot. The successful test generated significant interest in India, as the country has recently made significant strides in space exploration, including landing near the Moon’s south pole and launching its first observation mission to the Sun. India also has plans to establish a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
India’s Test Flight Launch Marks Promising Step Towards Astronaut Mission
