Despite several successful launches this year and in 2022, during which ISRO assisted a number of other nations in launching their satellites, India’s space agency has been refused access to the technology needed to design and fabricate the Gaganyaan mission’s Life Support System.
Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission will be developed independently by ISRO, according to a statement made by the space agency’s chairman, S. Somanath.
Speaking at the Manohar Parrikar Vidnyan Mahotsav 2023, Somanath drew attention to ISRO’s deficiency in ECLSS development, citing the organization’s custom of concentrating on the design of rockets and satellites.
“We don’t have any experience creating life support systems with environmental control. All we were doing was designing satellites and rockets. We had assumed that this knowledge would come from other countries, but sadly, despite much debate, no one is prepared to share it with us, Somanath stated.
By 2025, the Gaganyaan project hopes to send a crew into a 400 km orbit in order to showcase India’s prowess in human spaceflight.
Somanath underlined ISRO’s dedication to supporting indigenous development by utilizing local industries and current knowledge.
In response to the Gaganyaan program’s difficulties, Somanath emphasized the country’s commitment to improving design and developing skills. While acknowledging the inherent risks associated with rocket launches, he emphasized the need for greater skill and confidence in order to enable successful human spaceflight.
“I believe that the level of skill and confidence that we need to have has to be higher than what we currently have when we send humans to space through our Gaganyan program,” he declared.
Somanath emphasized that ISRO is working to integrate intelligence into rockets by employing artificial intelligence, sensor data, and quick decision-making to avert possible mishaps.
He promoted the creation of technologies to anticipate rocket failures and underlined the significance of making snap decisions in emergency situations.
ISRO is still dedicated to leading the way in developing new technologies that are critical to astronaut safety and mission success in the quest for human spaceflight capabilities.
The fundamental tenet of human spaceflight, which guarantees astronaut safety by integrating intelligence into rockets to prevent and handle launch failures, was also underlined by Somanath. ISRO is currently developing technologies to protect astronauts on space missions, including data synthesis, failure prediction, and split-second decision making.
