Parliament Question: Gaganyaan Mission and Bharatiya Antariksh Station

Key Highlights:

• The Gaganyaan Mission is progressing with development and testing of key components like the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) and Crew Escape System (CES).
• The first uncrewed experimental mission, featuring the Vyommitra half-humanoid, is targeted for Q4 2026.
• The first crewed Gaganyaan mission, along with two uncrewed missions, is targeted for completion by 2027.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) is targeted for operationalization by 2035, with the first module (BAS-01) already approved for development.
• A budgetary allocation of ₹20,193 crore for 8 missions was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024.
• ISRO is collaborating with international space agencies like ESA, Australian Space Agency (ASA), French National Space Agency (CNES), and Roscosmos for various aspects of the mission.

Detailed Insights:

• Development and ground testing of all propulsion stages and structures for the HLVM3 have been completed.
• Propulsion systems for the Gaganyaan Crew Module and Service Module have been developed, tested, and qualified.
• The first Test Vehicle mission (TV-D1) successfully validated the in-flight performance of the CES.
• Integrated Air Drop Test-01 (IADT-01) and IADT-02 were successfully completed for deceleration system validation.
• ISRO has finalized the overall configuration of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, which will comprise five modules.
• Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) is enabling network operations support for Gaganyaan missions.
• The Australian Space Agency (ASA) is cooperating on crew and crew module recovery operations for Gaganyaan.
• The French National Space Agency (CNES) has provided training for ISRO's Flight Surgeons and Ground Support Teams.
• A MoU with Roscosmos has facilitated the delivery of subsystems and generic space flight training for Gaganyatris (Indian astronauts).

Key Concepts Involved:

• Gaganyaan Mission: India's first human spaceflight program aiming to send astronauts into low Earth orbit.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): India's planned modular space station, targeted to be operational by 2035.
• Vyommitra: A half-humanoid robot developed by ISRO to fly on uncrewed Gaganyaan test missions.
• Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3): The launch vehicle specifically designed and certified by ISRO for human spaceflight.