Isro tests critical crew escape tech

Thiruvananthapuram: Isro has successfully flight-tested a full scale version of an unmanned Crew Escape System from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta on Thursday morning.

The CES is an essential technology for any launch vehicle intending to carry humans to space. The CES system was developed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

The safety system conceived and designed by the VSSC engineers is used to take away the crew module, in which the crew resides, to a safe distance when any exigency happens to the launch vehicle either at launch pad or during its initial flight through the atmosphere. India can be proud of the achievement it has made as it is the fourth country, after Russia, USA and China to boast of this technology.

“It is powered by a set of quick acting solid propellant motors and on firing the motors the system will accelerate at 10 times that of earth’s gravity and takes the Crew module to the safety zone within seconds. The achievement is a commendable one and is a major step towards technology development for enhancing India’s capability for undertaking a human spaceflight mission,” said S. Somanath, VSSC director.

The full scale Crew module weighs about 3.5 ton and will be taken to an altitude of 2.7 km and a range of 1.7 km. The Crew module after reaching the peak altitude will orient by itself in the favourable direction availing the aerodynamic forces and the three stage parachute system will be automatically deployed to make a soft splash down in the sea. The Crew module was later recovered from sea and taken to Satish Dhawan Space Centre for post test inspection and data analysis.

The launch was witnessed by Dr K. Sivan, chairman Isro. The design is totally indigenous and the successful flight demonstration has increased the confidence level of the team working in the area of technology development for manned mission.