ISRO is reportedly preparing to the launch the Gaganyaan-1 test mission in December. According to India Today, a senior official said that this uncrewed test flight will be a key milestone, spending three days in orbit to thoroughly test the systems designed for future astronaut missions.
"G1 is essential for vetting our technologies in real space conditions. We will be testing life support, navigation, re-entry, and other critical parameters required for safely sending humans into orbit and returning them home," the official told India Today.
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The spacecraft will launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and orbit Earth at a low altitude before landing safely, giving engineers a chance to study its performance under real conditions like launch stress, microgravity, radiation, and re-entry.
Before the launch, ISRO has also planned an integrated drop test will see the crew module released from a height, using parachutes to simulate a landing. This will help fine-tune recovery procedures and ensure the landing systems work perfectly. An official date for the test is yet to be revealed.
The astronaut training program is also picking up pace. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of four Indian Air Force officers chosen for the mission, is set to return to India this month after completing his recovery training post the Ax-4 mission. The full crew will resume training in October at the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) in Bengaluru inside a simulator that will mimic launch, orbit, and re-entry, procedures.
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