The Gaganyaan astronauts can be safely rescued during the return mission from 48 backup points identified by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) across the world, senior officials said as quoted by Hindustani times.
A senior ISRO official associated with the Gaganyaan mission stated that if everything goes by the book, the module could land in Indian waters.
“There are also backup plans if that doesn't work out because we can't take any risks to ensure the safety of the crew since this is a human spaceflight. For this, we have marked possible points where the capsule could land,” the official said HT.
Initially, the Indian Space Agency had completed two landing sites in Indian waters: the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. But later the landing site in the Arabian Sea was finalized due to the rough waters and unpredictability of the Bay of Bengal, the official said.
Isro's manned space program is expected to put India on the world map of manned spaceflight nations. Upon successful completion, India will join the US, Russia and China as countries that have active human spaceflight programs.
Unattended trials of Gaganyaan are expected to begin later this year. By March next year, Isro is expected to complete seven trial launches under Gaganyaan.
The space agency recently unveiled the first four astronauts selected for India's Gaganyaan space program. The astronauts are test pilots in the Indian Air Force and will be part of the country's first-ever manned space mission, set to launch late next year.
The astronauts – group captains Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan and Angad Pratap, and wing commander Subhanshu Shukla – were presented with special astronaut wing badges by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram, Isro's headquarters.
India's manned space mission will be carried out solely by Isro, which is working with partner suppliers for a fully indigenous technology stack for Gaganyaan's space infrastructure.
This marks a key differentiator between India and the US, which contracts private companies like SpaceX, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin for a wide range of commercial and human spaceflight projects.
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Published: Mar 5, 2024 08:35 IST