Gaganyaan Approved | Burning Issues

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GAGANYAAN

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on December 28, 2018 approved the Gaganyaan Programme, first Indian Human Spaceflight Initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

DETAILS

The GSLV Mk-lll rocket will be used to carry the orbital module which will have necessary provisions for sustaining a 3-member crew for the duration of the mission. The project will cost ₹10,000 crore 7 Days In Space by 3 Vyomanauts

HISTORY OF THIS PLAN

Till date, ISRO has spent Rs. 173 crore developing critical technologies for human space flight. The plan was first pitched in 2008 but was put on the backburner as the economy and Indian rockets experienced setbacks.

EARLIER PLANS THAT DIDN’T WORK

DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS

In 2014, India tested a Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE), where a 3,745 kg space capsule – a prototype of the crew module that will be used by the Indian astronauts – was launched into the atmosphere on the first flight of the GSLV Mk III and then safely recovered from the Bay of Bengal.
Since then, ISRO has also mastered the art of making a spacesuit which will be used by Indian astronauts when they get sent into space from Sriharikota.
Earlier this year in 2018, ISRO carried out a crucial Pad Abort Test on July 5, when a 12.5-ton crew module was tested to make sure in case of an accident on the launchpad, the crew can be rescued safely.

SPACE SUIT AND CREW MODEL FOR GAGANYAAN MISSION

THE SUIT

The orange-coloured prototype space suit was developed by the ISRO over the past two years at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
The suit can hold one oxygen cylinder, allowing an astronaut to breathe in space for 60 minutes.

TWO UNMANNED MISSIONS BEFORE 2022

Two unmannned missions before the final mission. The first unmanned test-flight will be launched in December 2020. The second unmanned test will be conducted in July 2021 and finally the human space flight will be launched in December 2021

NOTES

During the presentation, Union minister Jitendra Singh had said, “We won’t call it a manned mission as the PM has said in his I-Day speech that a girl can also be sent to space. This programme will totally be an indigenous mission. However, we can send the selected crew for training abroad.”

BENEFITS

Gaganyaan Programme will establish a broader framework for collaboration between ISRO, academia, industry, national agencies and other scientific organizations. It is expected to generate employment and train human resources in advanced technologies. It will inspire large number of young students to take up science and technology careers for national development

INDIA’S SOFT POWER

HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE MANAGED TO DO THIS?

The successful implementation of the programme will make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission. So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight missions.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

First Man in Space -Yuri Gagarin (USSR)

YOU SHOULD KNOW

First Woman in Space -Valentina Tereshkova (USSR)

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian cosmonaut to be sent into outer space in 1984 Sharma, himself went to space on a Soviet spacecraft called Soyuz T11. The spacecraft led him to a space station called Salyut 7.