Why in News?
ISRO successfully conducted the first ground test of the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) solid motor at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, for the Gaganyaan Mission.
What is SOLVE?
- SOLVE (Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments) is a solid motor-based test vehicle developed by ISRO.
- It is designed to validate the Crew Module’s parachute-based deceleration system under different mission conditions.
- A key component for future Gaganyaan Test Missions.
Key Features
- Carries the Crew Module to an altitude of 10 to 17 km.
- After separation, a series of 10 parachutes slows the Crew Module before sea splashdown.
- Solid motor derived from the PSLV Strap-on Motor with modifications such as:
- Slow burn-rate propellant.
- Straight nozzle with Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control (SITVC).
Significance
- Validates the Crew Module recovery system.
- Provides flexibility to simulate different mission scenarios.
- Supports upcoming uncrewed and crewed Gaganyaan missions.
About Gaganyaan Mission
- India’s first human spaceflight mission.
- Objective: Demonstrate the capability to send three astronauts to a 400 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for about three days and safely recover them in Indian waters.
- Implemented by ISRO.
[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 the three
[D] None