Gaganyaan G2 Uncrewed Test Mission

Context

ISRO is preparing for the Gaganyaan G2 mission in 2026, which will carry an uncrewed human-rated module to further validate India’s indigenous human spaceflight capabilities.

Mission Profile

Gaganyaan G2 is an uncrewed test mission under India’s Human Spaceflight Programme, aimed at qualifying critical systems required for future crewed missions. The mission will be launched using the LVM3 (Gaganyaan) rocket from Sriharikota.

Objective

To test and validate life-support systems, crew module performance, re-entry dynamics, and recovery operations before India’s first human spaceflight.

Key Features

• Human-rated crew module: Designed to safely support astronauts during launch, orbit, and re-entry phases.
• Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS): Tests oxygen generation, carbon dioxide removal, and temperature regulation.
• Re-entry and recovery: Evaluates heat shield performance, parachute deployment, and splashdown recovery in the Indian Ocean.
• Autonomous mission systems: Demonstrates onboard guidance, navigation, and control without human intervention.

Significance

• Human spaceflight readiness: A critical step toward India’s first crewed Gaganyaan mission.
• Technological self-reliance: Strengthens indigenous capabilities in human-rated launch systems and space habitation technologies.
• Strategic stature: Enhances India’s position among a select group of nations with independent human spaceflight capability.
• Spin-off benefits: Supports advancements in defence technologies, aviation safety, and disaster response.

Source : INDIA TODAY