India in the Second Space Age: Gaganyaan and its Operational Prospects
Executive Summary
Gaganyaan project is the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme which will be implemented by the Human Space Flight Centre (HSPC).
The launch will send a 3 member crew to the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) for a three-day mission
Tata Elxsi, a private corporation, was involved in mechanical design and development as an external private partner.
The first two missions are to be conducted in 2023 followed by an unmanned mission by the next year.
Introduction
Gaganyaan project seeks to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capabilities by launching a 3-member crew to the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) up to 400 km. The launch crew will conduct a three-day mission in the LEO and their return is planned by landing in Indian waters. A media interaction with the Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled the plan to launch a totally unmanned mission with a robot in the first two missions which will be followed by human spaceflights by the end of 2023 or in the next year.
The Human Space Flight Centre (HSPC) is mandated with end-to-end implementation of the Gaganyan project including planning, crew selection, training and development of systems for crew survival in addition to exploring activities around sustained human space flight missions. HSPC spearheads coordinated efforts with other relevant actors in the commercial space, academia and a range of research centers and labs in India. Inclusive with all essential spaceflight research and developing life support systems, it has undertaken R&D in bioastronautics, Human Factors Engineering, crew training, human rating and certification as well which are crucial components in sustained spaceflights like docking, infrastructure building and manned missions.
Cost and Outcomes of Human Spaceflights
Human spaceflight missions have often been criticized upon assessing the cost, risks and outcomes of such missions, however, historically, achievements in space have brought immense soft power and credibility for states in the long run. In the cost vs benefit debate of human spaceflights, there are arguments on both sides, however, even the critical voices do not deny an absolute halt over spaceflight missions and suggest that such endeavours are better suited for robots. Here, it must be noted that while the use of technology can be increased, space exploration remains a human endeavour in the end.
In defense of human spaceflights, arguments point to the repair work for the unmanned Hubble Telescope and subsequent upgrade of its instruments, a series of European Space Agency’s (ESA) Spacelab flights which transformed the shuttle from a transportation system to a laboratory. Furthermore, as a crucial component of overall scientific research, such explorations can have unexpected outcomes and latent development in other fields as well. Therefore, in the case of India, it becomes essential for successful spaceflight missions not only to harness more soft power and international cooperation in the international state system but also to complement developments in other fields.
Developments so far
ISRO plans to test the crew module in July alongside preparing for the launch of a synthetic aperture radar mission with the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA). The Department of Space (DOS) further shed light on an observing mission called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission) which aims at using advanced radar imaging for measuring changes in land surfaces. The Chairman of ISRO stated that in light of the Gaganyaan mission, the space agency is undertaking multiple amphibian tests alongside the Indian Navy. Such tests are conducted to demonstrate the escape of astronauts from the module in case of an accident or malfunction.
With more private players now contributing to India’s space sector, Tata Elxsi was the one to design and develop the crew module recovery models (CMRM) in addition to a Ground Support Fixture (GSF), marking it to be the first time ISRO has outsourced tasks around mechanical design and system development to a private external player in the domain. Tata Elxsi stated that the company, as per the requirements from ISRO, executed design configuration, procurement of materials, structural analysis, fabrication and tests along with transporting the CMRM and the GSF. This endeavour by Tata Elxsi has yielded results that are likely to incentivise more contribution and participation from private companies as Tata Elxsi’s shares went up to 3% after its partnership with ISRO on the Gaganyaan project. Such developments fall in line with the Space Policy 2023 which seeks to have more public-private partnerships.
In a media brief during the International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations, 2023 (SMOPS-2023), the ISRO Chairman stated that they do not want to rush the project and that their aim is to achieve a ‘sure-shot safe mission’. The project already went through a long halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the first launch exercise which was scheduled in July is now likely to be conducted in August 2023. He further mentioned that two abort missions need to be conducted in 2023 which will be followed in 2024 by an unmanned mission.
Conclusion
Human spaceflight programmes are already criticized for cost-effectiveness and relevance. Meanwhile, security considerations of India in space is something that was being looked forward to in its Space Policy 2023. In this regard, considering the given policy and the Gaganyaan 1 being the immediate mission at hand, it can be questioned what are the operational objectives of India for the near future. With Gaganyaan 1, India would become an addition to an elite space club which so far includes the USA, Russia and China, test its readiness in interoperability, make institutional adjustments with the Indian Armed Forces (in this case, particularly the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force personnel), test its cross-institutional operations in terms of logistics, human services like astronauts, pilots, technicians, engineers and domain specialists or technology services like data, satellite, robotics, communication or other relevant equipment.
Furthermore, human spaceflight missions can lead to further research in aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and engineering. It could also screen out requirements for the Indian space industry that the rising commercial sector will have the opportunity to fulfil. Additionally, this would not be a uni-dimensional civilian project with minute military elements. Instead, subsequent Ganagnyaan launches would complement the Indian Space Strategy in whole.