Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts for a Axiom-4 Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with United States’ NASA later this year
- Only one of the shortlisted astronauts will go on the mission.
About International Space Station
- ISS: It is a multi-nation construction project and its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011.
- According to the European Space Agency (ESA), it is a co-operative programme between Europe, United States, Russia, Canada and Japan.
- Orbit: The space station orbits in Low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 430 kilometers, with its orbital path taking it over 90% of the Earth’s population.
|
Enroll now for UPSC Online Course
Axiom-4 Mission
- It will take the Indian astronauts to the ISS
- This is the fourth private astronaut mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space.
- The mission is expected to dock with the ISS for fourteen days.
- Contract with SpaceX: Axiom Space has contracted SpaceX as a launch provider for transportation to and from the space station, and to familiarize the private astronauts with systems, procedures, and emergency preparedness for the Dragon spacecraft.
|
Gaganyaan
- AIM: The project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
- India as the fourth nation: Its success would mark India as the fourth nation to achieve human spaceflight capability, following Russia, the US and China.
- Prerequisites for Gaganyaan Mission: It include development of many critical technologies including
- Human rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space
- Life Support System to provide an earth like environment to crew in space
- Crew emergency escape provision
- Evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew.
- Various Precursor Missions: To check the Technology Preparedness Levels before carrying out the actual Human Space Flight mission. These demonstrator missions include
- Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT)
- Pad Abort Test (PAT) and Test Vehicle (TV) flights.
- Unmanned missions preceding manned missions.
- HLVM3 – Human Rated LVM3
- LVM3 Rocket: Launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission.
- It consists of solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage.
- All systems in the LVM3 launch vehicle are re-configured to meet human rating requirements and named Human Rated LVM3.
- HLVM3: It will be capable of launching the Orbital Module to an intended Low Earth Orbit of 400 km.
- Consists of Crew Escape System (CES): It’s powered by a set of quick acting, high burn rate solid motors which ensures that Crew Module along with crew is taken to a safe distance in case of any emergency either at launch pad or during ascent phase.
Orbital Module (OM)
- It will be Orbiting Earth comprising Crew Module (CM) and Service Module (SM).
- OM: It is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics systems with adequate redundancy considering human safety.
- CM: It is a habitable space with an Earth like environment in space for the crew.
- It houses the crew interfaces, human centric products, life support system, avionics and deceleration systems.
- It is also designed for re-entry to ensure safety of the crew during descent till touchdown.
- SM: It will be used for providing necessary support to CM while in orbit.
- It is an unpressurized structure containing thermal system, propulsion system, power systems, avionics systems and deployment mechanisms.
Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store
Who is part of the Gaganyaan mission?
- The PM announced the names of the astronauts who are a part of the Gaganyaan mission, during an event held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
- Four officers were hailed as “dreamers, adventurers, and courageous individuals preparing for space exploration”.
- They are from the Indian Air Force Group:
- Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair
- Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
- Group Captain Angad Pratap
- Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
- Selection: Only three of these four pilots will eventually go to space as part of the mission.
|
July 6, 2024