Successful test of Crew Escape System from India

Crew Escape System:

Crew Escape System-India-Technology Demonstrator

     India had planned to carry out manned mission by 2018, but due to some obstruction in financial condition. It has achieved a major technology demonstration on 05-July-2018. The first series of tests to qualify Crew Escape System, which is critical technological relevant for human spaceflight. The crew escape system is an emergency escape designed to quickly pull astronauts along with crew module away from launch vehicle during emergency launch abort. The foremost test (Pad Abort Test) demonstrated the safe recovery of crew module in case of exigency in launch pad from Sriharikotta Rocket Launch Pad.

     After a smooth countdown of 5 hours, the Crew Escape System along with crew module with mass of 12.6 tonnes, lifted off at 07:00 AM Indian Standard Time at the opening of the launch window from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 05-07-2018. The test was over in 259 seconds, during the Crew Escape System roared towards the sky and landed in Bay of Bengal using main parachutes about 2.9 kilometers away from Sriharikota.

    After the launch, the Crew Escape System reached a height of 2.7 km using specially designed seven solid rocket motors. During the course of launch, nearly 300 sensors recorded various mission performance parameters. After the landing, three boats were used to recover the Crew module from Bay of Bengal.

    Indians hope that this type of Crew Capsules will be helpful in manned mission for the exploration of Moon and they may extend their exploration to Mars after subsequent mission of Mangalyaan-2. This Crew Escape System is complete indigenous technology designed and developed in India by various scientists and engineers. It is aimed that India will join the major countries to have the capabilities of launching crews to space after future successful mission. First man in space Dr.Rakesh Sharma brought proud to the Indian nation reaching the space from Russian manned mission. But, soon we will have astronauts in space, which will be launched from Indian land with its own indigenous launch vehicle.

Image Credit : Indian Space Research Organisation

References:

[1] ISRO website (05-July-2018) " Successful flight testing of Crew Escape System-technology demonstrator" Indian Space Research Organisation. Retrieved from url https://www.isro.gov.in/update/05-jul-2018/successful-flight-testing-of-crew-escape-system-technology-demonstrator on 15-07-2018.