The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for a historic milestone with the Gaganyaan mission, the country's maiden human spaceflight programme. As part of its planning, ISRO has identified 48 international water locations as backup splashdown sites to ensure the safety of astronauts in the event of unforeseen circumstances in the mission.
The primary landing zone for the Gaganyaan mission remains the Arabian Sea, with Indian rescue teams ready for recovery operations. However, given the complexity of space missions, ISRO is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations.
“In any mission, there is an ideal scenario and there are backup plans in case that is not achieved. For the Gaganyaan mission, if everything goes by the book, we will be able to land the module in the Indian waters,” a senior ISRO official associated with the mission told Hindustan Times.
The official stressed the criticality of ensuring the safety of the crew, noting that even minor variations in the mission could lead to the capsule landing hundreds of kilometres away from the designated area. Two landing sites in the Indian seas were first selected by ISRO; one was in the Arabian Sea and the other in the Bay of Bengal. However, due to the roughness and unpredictability of the latter, the Arabian Sea was finalised as the primary landing zone.
The Gaganyaan mission is on track, with the team confident of conducting at least one uncrewed mission this year before the final manned mission. ISRO will conduct several rounds of tests leading up to the final mission to ensure that all systems function properly and that the module is safe for the crew.
The names of the four astronauts chosen for the Gaganyaan expedition were recently made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The astronaut-designates, Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla, are currently undergoing training at Bengaluru’s Astronaut Training Facility in preparation for the historic mission.
The Gaganyaan mission is poised to make India the fourth nation in the world, after the United States, Russia, and China, to carry a crew of astronauts into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft being developed for the mission is equipped with advanced technology, including life support systems and communication systems, to ensure the safety and success of the mission. The mission is scheduled for launch by the end of 2025.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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