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ISRO Missions and Discoveries

Crew Escape System (CES) in the Gaganyaan Mission

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Why in the News?

The Crew Escape System is ISRO’s most critical safety innovation for Gaganyaan. This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in The Hindu.

Back2Basics: Gaganyaan Mission:

  • Overview: India’s first human spaceflight mission, initiated in 2007, to send 3 astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (400 km) for 3 days, followed by Arabian Sea splashdown.
  • Rocket: Human-Rated LVM3 (HLVM3), adapted from GSLV Mk3, certified in 2025 for safe human use.
  • Significance: India to become the 4th nation (after US, Russia, China) with crewed spaceflight capability.
  • Latest Timeline (as of Sept 2025):
    • Dec 2025: First uncrewed mission (G1) with humanoid Vyommitra.
    • 2026: Two more uncrewed flights for life-support, avionics, and escape tests.
    • Early 2027: First crewed mission – 3 astronauts in orbit for 3 days.
  • Progress so far:
    • 80–85% development complete: avionics, parachutes, crew safety systems validated.
    • Integrated Air Drop Test (Aug 2025): Confirmed crew module deceleration.
    • Crew Escape System: Multiple ground and flight tests successful.
    • Recovery: Indian Navy and Australian Space Agency conducting splashdown drills.
    • Four IAF test pilots shortlisted: Shubhanshu Shukla, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan.
    • All trained in Russia, now in advanced Indian training. Final crew of three will be chosen for maiden flight.

What is Crew Escape System (CES)?

  • Purpose: A critical safety mechanism in ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission, enabling astronaut rescue in case of launch vehicle failure during the atmospheric ascent phase.
  • Placement & Function: Mounted atop the Human-Rated LVM3 (HLVM3) rocket; rapidly separates the crew module and propels it to safety using high-thrust solid motors.
  • Performance: Escape motors generate acceleration up to 10 g, using high burn-rate propellants for faster thrust than the launcher. Astronauts withstand this briefly in a “child-in-cradle” posture.
  • Safety Systems: Incorporates redundant subsystems, heritage-based design, and real-time health monitoring through the Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) network for millisecond-level response.
  • Types of CES:
    1. Puller-Type: Used in Gaganyaan; solid-fuel motors pull the crew module away. Also adopted by Russia’s Soyuz, China’s Long March, and US Saturn V missions.
    2. Pusher-Type: Used in SpaceX Crew Dragon (Falcon 9); liquid-fuel thrusters push the capsule away.
  • Comparison: Puller systems suit high-thrust, short-duration extractions; pusher systems integrate better with reusable modules.

Operational Sequence & Recovery:

  1. Automatic Activation: On anomaly detection, IVHM triggers CES instantly; escape motors fire, propelling the crew module clear of the rocket.
  2. Separation & Descent: After reaching safe distance, CES detaches and the module descends under multistage parachutes, drogue, main, and reserve, ensuring controlled speed and stability.
  3. Splashdown & Safety: The module lands in the sea, impact forces within safe physiological limits, allowing quick recovery.
  4. Significance: Serves as the core life-saving system of India’s human spaceflight programme, ensuring crew survival during catastrophic launch failures.
[UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three* (d) None

 

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