Gaganyaan mission: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will start several test flights for India's first human spaceflight mission from February next year. A senior official gave this information on Thursday. The space agency also plans to deploy a heavier Chinook helicopter and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to test the crew module, R Umamaheswaran, director of ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre, said. Through the module, Gaganyaan will take astronauts to orbit for three days under the human space flight mission.

Addressing the Indian Space Congress here, he said ISRO scientists have completed the design of the environment control system, which will ensure the living conditions for the astronauts in the Crew Service Module while orbiting the Earth. At least 17 different tests are planned by ISRO next year before carrying out an unmanned space flight in December next year. While announcing the Gaganyaan mission in his Independence Day address in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned a tentative goal towards carrying out the campaign in 2022, the country's 75 years of independence from colonial rule.

However, the mission was delayed due to the Covid pandemic and Indian astronauts are likely to launch their first space flight in late 2024 or early 2025. Umamaheswaran said the task of designing the crew module and environmental control system was challenging as astronauts should feel comfortable even during the re-entry phase, when the temperature outside the space capsule can exceed 2000 degrees Celsius. Umamaheswaran, on the sidelines of an event organized by the Satcom Industry Association, said, "The crew module is complete where the astronauts sit and fly, and the construction work is in progress.

Within six months, we will get the crew module. “We have to provide oxygen, remove carbon dioxide, remove moisture, maintain temperature and also ensure that there is no fire hazard. This is a very complex technology which no country will give us. ”The senior scientist said that it was decided to develop the environmental control system indigenously. Umamaheswaran said, “We have the capability to design, so we are doing that and it is taking some time.

We have completed all the designs and now it is time to prove that whatever is designed is sufficiently secure," he said, adding that four candidates have been 'shortlisted' for space flight and He has already completed his initial training in Russia. Umamaheswaran said the 'shortlisted' astronauts are currently undergoing further training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.