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ISRO, Indian Navy Complete Key Recovery Trials for Gaganyaan Mission

Bringing India's ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission closer to fruition, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Navy have successfully concluded crucial 'well deck' recovery trials, the space agency announced on Tuesday.

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ISRO, Indian Navy Complete Key Recovery Trials for Gaganyaan Mission

ISRO, Indian Navy Complete Key Recovery Trials for Gaganyaan Mission

Bringing India's ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission closer to fruition, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Navy have successfully concluded crucial 'well deck' recovery trials, the space agency announced on Tuesday.

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The trials, held on December 6 off the coast of Visakhapatnam, were carried out by the Eastern Naval Command using a well deck ship. This technique is vital to ensuring the safe and efficient recovery of astronauts after their planned three-day mission around Earth's orbit.

“Once the Crew Module (CM) touches down in the sea at the conclusion of the mission, the crew must be recovered as swiftly and comfortably as possible,” said ISRO. A well deck—a ship compartment that can be flooded to allow boats, landing crafts, or spacecraft to dock—has been identified as the preferred recovery method for the module.

“One of the optimal options involves towing the module, with the crew onboard, into the ship’s well deck, allowing them to exit the CM with ease,” ISRO added.

During the trials, a mass- and shape-simulated CM mock-up was used to test the entire recovery process. This included attaching a recovery buoy, towing the module, positioning it inside the ship's well deck, and draining the compartment. These steps provided a comprehensive understanding of the operational sequence, ground fixtures, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), validating the recovery process.

“This trial has validated the overall sequence of operations, ground fixtures, and will aid in fine-tuning the SOPs,” ISRO noted. These trials are part of an ongoing series of exercises designed to finalize recovery procedures for both nominal and off-nominal scenarios.

Earlier, in May 2023, ISRO and the Indian Navy had unveiled the Gaganyaan recovery training plan at the Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) at INS Garuda, Kochi, laying the groundwork for these essential recovery trials.

Indian Navy ISRO Gaganyaan mission