The first test for the Gaganyaan manned spaceflight mission was called off just seconds before the scheduled launch. The Indian Space Research Organization did not explain why the launch took place.
“The engine ignition did not take place in the nominal manner due to an anomaly. We have to find out what went wrong. The vehicle is safe and we will announce the reason after an investigation,” ISRO chief S Somanath said from the Mission Control Center. .
Test Vehicle D1’s mission was scheduled to lift off from the first launch pad at 8 a.m., which was revised to 8:45 a.m. But just 5 seconds before launch, the countdown stopped. ISRO is expected to announce a new date for the test soon.
“What happened is that the ground support computer that performs this function stopped the launch due to the observed anomaly. We will come back after understanding the anomaly, correct it and schedule the launch very soon,” the space agency’s chairman said .
The test vehicle mission is the precursor to the Gaganyaan program that aims to send humans into space for three days in a low Earth orbit of 400 km and return them safely to Earth.
The first test, which could not be carried out today, will look at the effectiveness of the crew escape system, which can be used to eject astronauts in an emergency.
It will be followed by another robotic test flight into space before the final crewed mission.
“Before the ultimate manned ‘Gaganyaan’ mission, a test flight of Vyommitra, the female robot astronaut, will be conducted next year,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.
This program will make India the fourth country to launch a human spaceflight mission after the US, Russia and China.
Building on the success of India’s space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed that India must now strive for new and ambitious goals, including setting up ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station ) to send the first Indian to the moon by 2035 and by 2040.
