Twitter
Advertisement

GSLV failure sparks safety fears for 2016 manned space flight

Saturday’s failed attempt to place GSAT-5P, in space using a GSLV, if anything, has jolted the country’s space scientists to ensure a fool-proof manned space mission by 2015-16.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

What if there were live Indian astronauts on board the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) rocket that exploded a minute after lift-off on Saturday afternoon from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota? This is the question that is bothering scientists of the Indian space research organisation (Isro), which is on track to launch its first manned space flight in 2015-16.

The cause for worry among the Isro scientists is this: the manned space flight mission will also be launched on board a GSLV rocket. At stake will not only be the Rs12,400 crore mission and the Indian space agency’s reputation, but also the lives of two vyomanauts (as the Indian astronauts will be referred to).

The year 2010 has not been good for Isro with two back-to-back failures of GSLV launchers — two motors of the first indigenously-built cryogenic engine of GSLV-D3 failed to ignite on April 15 this year, resulting in loss of velocity and the rocket crashing into the Bay of Bengal.

Saturday’s failed attempt to place a Rs125 crore advanced communication-cum-telecommunication satellite, GSAT-5P, in space using a  GSLV, if anything, has jolted the country’s space scientists to ensure a fool-proof manned space mission by 2015-16, Isro scientists said.

Sources from Isro’s launch programme office told DNA that there are plans to ramp up a unique feature that could ensure the safety of the vyomanauts.

Each of the manned space flight series will carry an ejection capsule, which would help the crew bail out safely in case of an emergency. If the mission faces a Saturday-like disastrous scenario, the capsule carrying the vyomanauts will be ejected before the rocket is intentionally destroyed using a self-destruct button.

The capsule with the vyomanauts will then descend into the Bay of Bengal from where they would be safely retrieved using Indian Navy ships.

The vyomanaut retrieval part of the exercise will be the same as the space capsule recovery experiment which is already underway in a simulated manner, supervised by Isro and Indian Navy. The country’s first manned spaceflight mission will be of a week-long duration and will see the spacecraft orbiting earth at an altitude of 274 km.

According to Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan, the space module for the manned space flight will be designed and developed over the next three years. The work is already on at the Isro satellite centre.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement