Human Space Flight Centre

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Human Space Flight Centre
Human Space Flight Centre Logo.jpg
Agency overview
Formed30 January 2019;5 years ago (2019-01-30)
Jurisdiction Department of Space
Headquarters Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Annual budgetSee the budget of ISRO
Agency executive
  • M. Mohan, Director [1]
Parent agency ISRO
Website HSFC Website

The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) is a body under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to coordinate the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The agency will be responsible for implementation of the Gaganyaan project. [2] The first crewed flight is planned for 2024 on a home-grown LVM3 rocket. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Before Gaganyaan mission announcement in August 2018, human spaceflight was not the priority for ISRO, though most of the required capability for it had been realised. [6] ISRO has already developed most of the technologies for crewed flight and it performed a Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment and a Pad Abort Test for the mission. [7] The project will cost less than Rs. 10,000 crore. [8] [9] In December 2018, the government approved further ₹ 100 billion (US$1.5 billion) for a 7-days crewed flight of 3 astronauts to take place in December 2021, [3] [10] later delayed to 2023. [11]

If completed on schedule, India will become world's fourth nation to conduct independent human spaceflight after the Soviet Union/Russia, United States and People's Republic of China. As part of an integrated lunar exploration and outer space strategy, the agency plans to continue working on the Bharatiya Antariksha Station program, future crewed lunar landings, and moonbase habitat after completing crewed spaceflights. [12] [13]

The Human Space Flight Center's founder and director is S Unnikrishnan Nair. [14]

History

Prototype flight suit for crewed mission ISRO-designed Astronaut Space Suit.jpg
Prototype flight suit for crewed mission

The trials for crewed space missions began in 2007 with the 600 kg Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, and safely returned to earth 12 days later.

The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has worked on the space food for crewed spaceflight and has been conducting trials on G-suit for astronauts as well. [15] [16] A prototype 'Advanced Crew Escape Suit' weighing 13 kg was built by Sure Safety (India) Limited based on ISRO's requirements has been tested and performance verified. [17] [18] [19] [20]

On 28 December 2018, the Indian Union cabinet approved the funding for Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO's) human spaceflight programme, under which a three-member crew will be sent to space for seven days and is expected to cost Rs 9,023 crore. The testing phase is expected to begin from 2022 [21] and the mission will be undertaken by 2023. [22] [11]

Spacecraft development

Development schedule of Gaganyaan [21] [23] [11]
Flight typeProposed month & yearCrew
Test Flight 1June 2022None
Test Flight 22023None
Crewed20233
Michael Clark talks about India's Human Spaceflight Programme and the rockets that will enable them.

The first phase of this programme is to develop and fly the 3.7-ton spaceship called Gaganyaan that will carry a 3-member crew to low Earth orbit and safely return to Earth after a mission duration of a few orbits to two days. The first uncrewed launch is planned for 2022. [21] The extendable version of the spaceship will allow flights up to seven days, rendezvous and docking capability.

Enhancements in spacecraft will lead to development of a space habitat allowing spaceflight duration of 30–40 days at once in next phase. Further advances from experience will subsequently lead to development of a space station. [24]

On 7 October 2016, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director K. Sivan stated that ISRO was gearing up to conduct a critical 'crew bailout test' called ISRO Pad Abort Test to see how fast and effectively the crew module could be released safely in the event of an emergency. The tests were conducted successfully on 5 July 2018 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This was the first test in a series of tests to qualify a crew escape system technology. [25] [7]

India will not use any animals for life support systems testing but robots resembling humans will be used. [26] [27] ISRO is targeting more than 99.8% reliability for its crew escape system. [28]

As of August 2018, ISRO plans to launch its crewed orbiter Gaganyaan atop a LVM3 rocket. [3] [4] [8] [9] About 16 minutes after lift-off, the rocket will inject the orbital vehicle into an orbit 300 to 400 km above Earth. The capsule would return for a splashdown in the Arabian Sea near the Gujarat coastline. [29] As of May 2019, design of crew module has been completed. [30] The spacecraft will be flown twice uncrewed for validation before conducting actual human spaceflight. [23]

Infrastructure development

Human-Rating of LVM3

Human-rating rates the system is capable of safely transporting humans. ISRO will be building and launching 2 missions to validate the human rating of LVM3. [31] Existing launch facilities will be upgraded to enable them to carry out launches under Indian Human Spaceflight campaign. [32] [33]

Escape System

The escape system will boast of a recently included geometry. Work on parachute enlargement and new architecture are also going on. [31] [34]

Astronaut training

Training for Gaganyaan programme

ISRO Chairman, K. Sivan, announced in January 2019 the creation of India's Human Space Flight Centre in Bangalore for training astronauts, also called vyomanauts (vyoma means 'Space' or 'Sky' in Sanskrit). [35] The ₹1,000 crore (US$125.2 million) centre will train the selected astronauts in rescue and recovery operations, operate in zero gravity environment, and monitoring of the radiation environment.

In spring 2009 a full-scale mock-up of the crew capsule was built and delivered to Satish Dhawan Space Centre for training of astronauts. India will be short listing 200 Indian Air Force pilots for this purpose. The selection process would begin by the candidates having to complete an ISRO questionnaire, after which they would be subjected to physical and psychological analyses. Only 4 of the 200 applicants will be selected for the first space mission training. While two will fly, two shall act as reserve. [36] [37]

ISRO signed a memorandum of understanding in 2009 with the Indian Air Force's Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) to conduct preliminary research on psychological and physiological needs of crew and development of training facilities. [38] [39] ISRO is also discussing an agreement with Russia regarding some aspects of astronaut training. [40] [41]

Human Space Flight Centre and Glavcosmos, which is a subsidiary of the Russian state corporation Roscosmos, signed an agreement on 1 July 2019 for cooperation in the selection, support, medical examination and space training of Indian astronauts. [42] An ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) will be set up in Moscow to facilitate the development of some key technologies and establishment of special facilities which are essential to support life in space. [43]

As of January 2020, 4 crews have been selected for the mission with astronaut training scheduled to begin in third week of January.

During his Visit to India in November 2023, NASA administrator Bill Nelson expressed support to India And indicated its readiness to support India's goal of building a commercial space station by 2040 if India seeks such collaboration. This potential partnership could leverage the expertise and experience of both countries, fostering innovation and advancing human presence in space between the two Artemis accords signatories . [44] [45] Regarding the Indian Proposal of launching an Indian Astronaut to the ISS discussed during a previous State Visit, he said [46] [47]

Planned facilities within India

An astronaut training facility will be established on proposed site of 140 acres (0.57 km2) nearby Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli, Karnataka. [48]

Another such facility is proposed to be constructed in Challakere under a ₹2,700 crore (equivalent to ₹32 billionorUS$400 million in 2023) plan. It will be a facility spanning 400 acres (1.6 km2) and will be the primary facility for astronaut training and other related activities. As of January 2020, it is planned to be completed in 3 years. Once completed, all activities related to the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme will be undertaken there. [49] [50] [51]

Experiments and objectives

On 7 November 2018, ISRO released an Announcement of Opportunity seeking proposals from the Indian science community for microgravity experiments that could be carried out during the first two robotic flights of Gaganyaan . [52] [53] The scope of the experiments is not restricted, and other relevant ideas will be entertained. The proposed orbit for microgravity platform is expected to be in an Earth-bound orbit at approximately 400 km altitude. All the proposed internal and external experimental payloads will undergo thermal, vacuum and radiation tests under required temperature and pressure conditions. To carry out microgravity experiments for long duration, a satellite may be placed in orbit.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human spaceflight</span> Spaceflight with a crew or passengers

Human spaceflight is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be remotely operated from ground stations on Earth, or autonomously, without any direct human involvement. People trained for spaceflight are called astronauts, cosmonauts (Russian), or taikonauts (Chinese); and non-professionals are referred to as spaceflight participants or spacefarers.

Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISRO</span> Indias national space agency

The Indian Space Research Organisation is the national space agency of India. It operates as the primary research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India while the Chairman of ISRO also acts as the executive of DoS. ISRO is primarily responsible for performing tasks related to space-based operations, space exploration, international space cooperation and the development of related technologies. ISRO is one of the six government space agencies in the world that possesses full launch capabilities, can deploy cryogenic engines, can launch extraterrestrial missions and operate a large fleet of artificial satellites. ISRO is one of the four government space agencies to have soft landing (unmanned) capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</span> Spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India

Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC, is the primary spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LVM3</span> Indian expendable medium-lift launch vehicle, developed by ISRO

The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or LVM3 is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Primarily designed to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit, it is also due to launch crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. LVM3 has a higher payload capacity than its predecessor, GSLV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Human Spaceflight Programme</span> ISROs human spaceflight program

The Indian Human Spaceflight Programme is an ongoing programme by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop the technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low Earth orbit. Three uncrewed flights, named Gaganyaan-1, Gaganyaan-2 and Gaganyaan-3 are scheduled to launch in 2024, followed by crewed flight in 2024 on an HLVM3 rocket.

Human-rating certification, also known as man-rating or crew-rating, is the certification of a spacecraft or launch vehicle as capable of safely transporting humans. There is no one particular standard for human-rating a spacecraft or launch vehicle, and the various entities that launch or plan to launch such spacecraft specify requirements for their particular systems to be human-rated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaganyaan</span> Indian crewed spacecraft

Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capabilities. In its maiden crewed mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s largely autonomous 5.3-metric ton capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days with a two- or three-person crew on board. The first crewed mission was originally planned to be launched on ISRO's HLVM3 rocket in December 2021. As of October 2023, it is expected to be launched by 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISRO Pad Abort Test</span>

The ISRO Pad Abort Test was an Indian Space Research Organisation launch escape system test of its crew module as part of Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The successful test took place on 5 July 2018.

Dr.V. R. Lalithambika is an Indian engineer and scientist who has been working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She is a specialist in Advanced Launcher Technologies and was leading the Gaganyaan mission to send Indian astronauts to space by 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyommitra</span> Robonaut

Vyommitra is a female-looking spacefaring humanoid robot developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation to function on-board the Gaganyaan, a crewed orbital spacecraft. Vyommitra was first unveiled on 22 January 2020 at the Human Spaceflight and Exploration symposium in Bengaluru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1</span> 2023 Indian space vehicle test flight

Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) was a high altitude abort test performed as part of the Gaganyaan program, initially set to be held on 21 October 2023 at around 02:30 UTC. Liftoff was delayed to 03:15 UTC due to weather issues, and five seconds before launch it was put on hold by the on-board computer due to an engine anomaly, as reported in ISRO's mission livestream. The launch occurred at 04:30 UTC, and the crew module successfully separated from the launch vehicle. The crew module was successfully recovered by the Indian Navy. India is the fourth country, after Russia, the United States, and China, to successfully test this technology.

Gaganyaan-1 will be the first uncrewed test flight of the Gaganyaan programme, with launch planned for July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bharatiya Antariksha Station</span> Proposed Indian Space Station

The Bharatiya Antariksha Station, is a planned modular space station to be constructed by India and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The space station would weigh 20 tonnes and maintain an orbit of approximately 400 kilometres above the Earth, where astronauts could stay for 15–20 days. Originally planned to be completed by 2030, it was later postponed to 2035 due to delays caused by technical issues related with the Gaganyaan crewed spaceflight mission and the COVID-19 pandemic in India. As of December 2023, the first module is expected to be launched in 2028 on an LVM3 launch vehicle, with the remaining modules to be launched by 2035 on the Next Generation Launch Vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaganyaan-4</span> Indian spaceflight, planned 2024

Gaganyaan-4 will be the first crewed test flight of the Gaganyaan programme, with launch planned for 2025.

Gaganyaan-3 will be the third uncrewed test flight of the Gaganyaan programme, with launch planned in 2025.

References

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  30. ↑ "India's first solar mission in 2020: Isro chairman". The Times of India. 4 May 2019. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  31. 1 2 "Isro to build 3 sets of rockets, crew modules for Gaganyaan". The Times of India. 30 December 2018. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "India's human space programme gets a fillip" . Retrieved 11 January 2019. Initially, the plan was the construct a new launch pad for the human space flight, but Sivan told the Express that due to paucity of time one of the two existing launch pads is being modified to meet the requirement.
  33. ↑ "Question number 1733 in Rajya Sabha" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2019. It is proposed to utilise the existing launch pad with augmentation for carrying out the initial flights under the Gaganyaan manned space flight programme.[ permanent dead link ]
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  36. ↑ Model of space crew module ready, The Hindu, 2 May 2009
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