ISRO, Navy conduct harbour recovery trials for Gaganyaaan human spaceflight mission

Recovery trial operations of the Gaganyaan mission has entered into the second phase with the commencement of harbour trials at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

Indian Space Research Organisatio (ISRO) and Indian Navy jointly carried out the trials on July 20 with the ship identified for the recovery operations during the first Development Mission of the Test Vehicle.

The trials were conducted at the Eastern Naval Command in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, using a mass and shape simulated Crew Module Mockup.

This mockup was a crucial component in the testing process, ensuring that the recovery procedures accurately simulated conditions, the Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said in a statement on Saturday.

The various stages of recovery were simulated during the trials, including the attachment of the recovery buoy, towing, handling and lifting of the crew module onto the ship deck, it was stated.

These procedures were executed according to the recovery sequence, demonstrating the preparedness of the teams involved.

To ensure a seamless and safe recovery process, the Standard Operating Procedures were fine-tuned based on the experiences from the phase-1 trials at the Water Survival Training Facility in Kochi. This iterative approach allowed for refinements to be made, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the recovery operations, the national space agency said.

Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters, according to ISRO.