Gaganyaan mission test flight on October 21: Check what happened when ISRO tested Crew Escape System for first time

The main objective of the 2018 test was to demonstrate the efficacy of the Crew Escape System, one of the emergency measures that can quickly move the crew module and astronauts away from the launch vehicle in case of any unexpected development.

In 2018, the countdown for the test sequence spanned a period of five hours and led to the launch of the simulated CES and the crew module weighing 12.6 tonnes. The launch occurred precisely at 7 AM, when it took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. In the air for 259 seconds, the Crew Escape System and crew module gently curved over the Bay of Bengal before it returned back to Earth via parachute support. The landing was successful at a place nearly 2.9 km away from Sriharikota.

During the 2018 test, the crew module attained an altitude of about 2.7 km, driven by seven carefully crafted quick-reacting solid motors. The specially-designed motors propelled the crew module away from the astronauts without exposing them to high g-force.

An array of roughly 300 sensors closely monitored the entire test flight, diligently recording various mission performance parameters. This involved deploying three recovery boats towards the retrieval of the crew module in compliance with the recovery protocol, a sure indication of ISRO’s comprehensive approach to space missions.

The success of this critical pad abort test is a major milestone and a step in the right direction towards ISRO’s ultimate goal of launching the iconic Gaganyaan mission.