Gaganyaan Mission (Space and Defence Sectors)
Gaganyaan Mission (Space and Defence Sectors)
Why In News:
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first static ground test of the solid rocket motor for its newly developed Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE), at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 3 July 2026.
The test validates the parachute-based deceleration and recovery system for the crew module of Gaganyaan, India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission.
Source: The Hindu, Page 12, 6 July 2026 - ‘ISRO conducts test of key component for Gaganyaan mission’
About Gaganyaan
Mission profile: The Gaganyaan mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is designed to send a crew of three Indian astronauts into a 400 km low-Earth orbit (LEO) for a three-day mission, followed by a safe splashdown and recovery in Indian waters.
Phased testing: ISRO is conducting a series of uncrewed qualification missions before any crewed flight, validating launch systems, the crew escape system, propulsion and parachute-based recovery, building on earlier tests such as the TV-D1 abort test.
What is SOLVE?
Purpose: SOLVE is a dedicated test vehicle designed to carry a Gaganyaan crew module replica to an altitude of 10 to 17 kilometres, where it separates to test the module’s parachute deployment and controlled splashdown sequence.
Design lineage: Its solid propulsion stage is adapted from the strap-on booster motors used on ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), modified with a slow burn-rate propellant, a straight nozzle, and Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control (SITVC) for improved stability.
The test itself: The 3 July 2026 test involved a ten-hour static firing of the SOLVE-ST01 motor, with ISRO confirming performance matched all expected parameters.
Key Facts for Prelims
The Satish Dhawa
n Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, is ISRO’s primary launch and static test facility.
Gaganyaan is overseen by ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), Bengaluru, under the Department of Space.