India’s space programme achieve a significant milestone on 18th December, 2024, as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began assembling the Human-Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).
This marks the commencement of the Gaganyaan-G1 launch campaign, the first uncrew mission under the ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
The assembly began with the stacking of the nozzle-end segment of the S200 solid rocket motor.
This development coincides with the tenth anniversary of the LVM3-X/CARE mission conduct on the same date in 2014.
The HLVM3, an advance version of the LVM3 rocket, has specifically engineer for human spaceflight.
Standing at 53 metres tall and weighing 640 tonnes, the three-stage rocket can carry up to 10 tonnes to low Earth orbit.
Important upgrades include a human-rated design and a Crew Escape System (CES), intend to ensure the safe ejection of the Crew Module in the event of an anomaly during ascent.
As per reports, preparations are underway with the assembly of the S200 motors, while the L110 liquid stage and C32 cryogenic stage are ready at the launch complex.
The Crew Module integration is being conduct at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), and the Service Module is being prepare at the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).
The upcoming uncrew flight aims to validate human-rated systems in a control environment.
The Crew Module, design with enhanced safety margins and redundancy, features technologies test during the LVM3-X/CARE mission.
That mission, conduct in 2014, demonstrate critical technologies such as control re-entry and splashdown, providing invaluable data for subsequent human spaceflight developments.
As ISRO progresses with its maiden human spaceflight mission, the Gaganyaan programme is expect to pave the way for India’s long-term vision, including the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), which will mark a new chapter in the country’s space exploration efforts.
