The first abort test using the special test vehicle (TV) will see ISRO take the vehicle to a near-supersonic condition before the abort command is executed, putting the crew module (CM) and the crew escape system (CES) in test conditions that may arise during the Gaganyaan mission. The mission will be the first of several such tests said ISRO Chairman in an interview to TOI.

ISRO plans to conduct before the first uncrewed mission under Gaganyaan. It is planned for an early August execution.

The first abort mission for India's maiden human spaceflight 'Gaganyaan' would be conducted at the end of August this year, while the unmanned mission to orbit would take place next year, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somanath during an event at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL).

"For Gaganyaan, the first and foremost thing is that the abort mission has to be done. For that, we have made a new rocket called a test vehicle, which is ready at Sriharikota. Assemblies of the crew module and crew escape system are just getting ready," Mr. Somanath told reporters when asked about the latest update on Gaganyaan.

"So I am informed that this month-end it will go for a fully functional testing, vibration testing, etc. So we are hoping that in August-end or so we will be able to fire the launch of this crew abort mission. Then it will be followed by a repeat mission with different conditions of abort. This is planned for this year," he said.