Major milestone: India launches test rocket for manned space mission

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The Gaganyaan (skyship) mission is planned to carry three astronauts into Earth orbit in 2025. The project is considered an important milestone in terms of India’s space goals.

Saturday’s test concerned the crew module’s emergency evacuation system. The module separated from the engine shortly after takeoff and slowly descended into the sea ten minutes later. The start had previously been postponed for two hours due to bad weather conditions and engine failure.

Before the actual mission begins, ISRO is planning a series of 20 tests, including sending a robot into space. Gaganyaan is the first of its kind for India and will cost the country around $1.08 billion (about €1.02 billion), according to the space agency. Astronauts will spend three days outside Earth’s atmosphere before returning to Earth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he wants to send people to the moon by 2040. In August, India became the fourth country to land an unmanned spacecraft on Earth’s satellite.

India’s space program has grown significantly in recent years. According to experts, the South Asian country is able to keep costs relatively low because it copies and adapts existing technologies and also has a large number of highly skilled engineers.

(SDA)

Source : Blick