ISRO successfully conducts test vehicle mission ahead of human space flight programme

Sriharikota: Nerves gave way to smiles at the spaceport here as delays and an anomaly-triggered ‘hold’ forced ISRO scientists to revise the launch schedule of a test vehicle carrying payloads related to the country’s ambitious human space flight mission, Gaganyaan which soared into skies after initial hiccups.

Following a two hour delay and nerve-wracking moments after the engine of TV-D1 failed to ignite initially, ISRO scientists put the mission on course 75 minutes later when they launched the rocket with precision and achieved the goal of Crew Module and Crew Escape separation that was welcomed with loud cheers at the Mission Control Center here.

TV D1 Mission was fully achieved, ISRO announced.

The payloads later splashed into the sea as planned, a development that witnessed jubilation. Gaganyaan programme aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km for three days and bring them safely back to the Earth.

Initially slated for 8 am, the launch suffered delays twice, totaling 45 minutes, before an anomaly forced a rescheduling for 10 am.