ISRO tests booster for Gaganyaan

ISRO has successfully carried out the static test of the HS200 solid rocket booster for Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

HS200 Booster:

• It is the ‘human-rated’ version of the S200 rocket boosters used on the GSLV Mk-III, also called the LVM3.
• The GSLV Mk-III rocket, which will be used for the Gaganyaan mission, will have two HS200 boosters that will supply the thrust for lift-off.
• Control system used in booster employs one of the world’s most powerful electro-mechanical actuators with multiple redundancy and safety features.

GSLV MK-III

• The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III(GSLV Mk III), also referred to as the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3), is a three-stage, medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Primarily designed to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit, it is also identified as the launch vehicle for crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
• It was used in dedicated science missions like Chandrayaan-2.
• The GSLV Mk III has a higher payload capacity than the similarly named GSLV Mk II.
• The GSLV Mk-III will have improvements to increase reliability and safety to meet the requirements of 'human ratings’.
• Of the three propulsion stages of the GSLV Mk-III, the second stage uses liquid propellant while the third is a cryogenic stage.

Significance of Gaganyaan for India:

• It will boost Indian industries towards more active participation in space missions through localization of equipments relying on the Atmanirbhar strategy
• This mission will create new employment opportunities and will also train human resources in advanced technologies.
• This will be a huge boost towards India’s technological progress as this will be the platform and test bed for future technologies.

It will boost cross collaboration and sharing of ideas between ISRO and other eminent acadmic institutions and industry groups It will give impetus to more research and development in areas such as materials processing, astro-biology, resource mining, planetary chemistry, etc It will inspire youth to take up science and technology as careers for national development. It will be a huge moment of pride and prestige as India will be the 4th country to launch human space mission after USA, China and Russia. This will also establish India’s role as a key player in the space industry.

Challenges

• A huge cost burden of about 10,000 crores, which often critics question its relevance based on our rate of poverty. I think it can be addressed with more and more private participation in the sector.
• Technological challenges like Crew Escape Mechanism, Radiation exposure, & simulating Earth-like conditions, needs to be very minutely addressed
• Health Issues can come up with the astronauts like Behavioral issues, depression, fatigue, sleep disorder.
• There is a problem of space debris in lower earth orbits, which also needs to be taken care of.

Other Major Space Projects of ISRO

• Venus mission: This will be the first mission to Venus by India.
• L-1 Aditya solar: India’s first scientific expedition to study the Sun
• Chandrayaan-3: It is a lander-and rover-specific mission, a follow-up of the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

Exam Track

Prelims Takeaway

• Gaganyaan Mission
• Aditya L-1 mission
• Chandrayaan 3

Mains Track

Q. What is the importance of Gaganyaan mission for India? Discuss various challenges in the success path of the mission.