Isro starts recovery trials for Gaganyaan

BENGALURU: Isro, on Wednesday said it began initial recovery trials of the Crew Module (CM), along with the Indian Navy, as part of preparations for the proposed human spaceflight mission — Gaganyaan.

“On February 7 Isro, along with the Navy carried out initial recovery trials of the CM in the Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) of the Indian Navy, at Kochi. The trials were part of the preparation for crew module recovery operations for the Gaganyaan mission that will be carried out in Indian waters with the participation of Indian agencies, while overall recovery operations will be led by the Navy,” Isro said.

A CM Recovery Model (CMRM) that simulates the mass, centre of gravity, outer dimensions, and externals of the actual CM at touchdown was used for the trials. The sequence of operations required for the recovery of the CM were carried out as part of the trials.

“As the safe recovery of the crew is the final step to be accomplished for any successful human spaceflight, it is of paramount importance and it has to be carried out with the minimum lapse of time. Hence, the recovery procedures for various scenarios need to be extensively practised by carrying out a large number of trials. The Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) for recovery of crew and CM need to be finalised,” Isro said.

It added that the recovery trials will be initially carried out in a closed pool followed by trials in a harbour and in the open sea.

“The February 7 operations, form the initial recovery trials of CM in a closed pool. Different phases of recovery trials starting with the recovery of the CM to the flight crew training are planned at WSTF,” Isro said.

The WSTF is a state-of-the-art facility of the Navy that provides realistic training of aircrew for escape from a ditched aircraft under varied simulated conditions and crash scenarios. The facility also simulates different sea state conditions, environmental conditions, and day/night conditions.

“These trials assist in validating the SoP, and training recovery teams as well as the flight crew. They provide valuable input for the utilisation of recovery accessories. The feedback from the recovery team/trainers helps improve the recovery operations' SoP, design various recovery accessories, and finalise the training plan,” Isro added.