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Gaganyaan G1 Mission : Crew Module-Service Module Separation Validation
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completes a series of Crew Module (CM)–Service Module (SM) separation tests ahead of the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission (G1), targeted for launch in 2026. The tests validate the design and reliable functioning of the CM–SM separation system, including its ability to withstand mechanical shocks.
Gaganyaan G1 Mission: CM–SM Separation Validation
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Authority | The tests are completed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). |
| Gaganyaan mission aim | The mission demonstrates India’s human spaceflight capability by sending a crew of 3 astronauts to an orbit of approximately 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them safely back to Earth. |
| Purpose of CM–SM separation tests | The tests validate the design and reliable functioning of the separation system, including its ability to withstand mechanical shocks. |
| Crew Module (CM) | The Crew Module houses the astronauts during the mission and is designed to return them safely to Earth. |
| Service Module (SM) | The Service Module supports the Crew Module during the orbital phase of the mission. |
| Gaganyaan Orbital Module | The Crew Module and Service Module together form the Gaganyaan Orbital Module. |
| CM–SM separation sequence | The two modules remain connected during launch and the orbital phase, and the Crew Module separates from the Service Module before atmospheric re-entry. |
| Separation system components | The separation system uses precisely sequenced separation events, pyrotechnic devices, and jettisoning mechanisms, and umbilical connections carrying electrical and fluid services must be severed. |
| Critical systems tested | Critical systems tested comprise avionics, inertial navigation systems, thermal protection systems, heat shields, deployable umbilical shields, and crew-module uprighting mechanisms. |
| Test facility | The test setup is established at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. |
| Mission recovery | The Crew Module is intended to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in Indian sea waters. |