It was on December 18. 2014, that the Indian Coast Guard recovered the Crew Module from the turbulent seas of Bay of Bengal, approximately 1600 km from SDSC-SHAR. On the morning of the same day, LVM3-X in its maiden flight had lifted a Crew Module of mass of 3,775 kg (LVM3-X/CARE mission) into a suborbital altitude of 126 km from where it was controlled using thrusters to orient it for a favourable re-entry. The Crew Module descended using parachutes to have a smooth splash down at the designated location. The Crew Module was developed as part of pre-project activities of Human Spaceflight Project, well before the official Gaganyaan project was approved in 2019. It is a fitting coincidence that ten years later, on the same day, ISRO is gearing up for the first un-crewed mission of Gaganyaan, by commencing the stacking of human-rated LVM3, christened HLVM3, at SDSC-SHAR.

Commencement of Stacking Of Human-Rated LVM3 (HVM3) Or The First Un-Crewed Flight of Gaganyaan

ISRO has come a long way from the experimental mission of LVM3-X/CARE mission. The human rated launch vehicle, HLVM3, is derived from LVM3 and designed with enhanced reliability to meet human safety considerations. Additionally, a Crew Escape System (CES) is implemented to ensure crew safety by safe ejection of Crew Module (CM) in a potentially adverse situation. The CES is operational from the launch pad till its separation after the atmospheric flight regime. HLVM3 is a three-stage vehicle with a payload capacity of about 10 tonnes to LEO. The vehicle is 53 meters tall and weighs 640 tonnes. The vehicle is getting ready for launch with the Crew Module and associated systems undergoing final checks at ISRO centres.

The primary objective of the LVM3-X/CARE mission was to validate the vehicle's flight through the atmospheric regime and demonstrate the re-entry of a full-scale Crew Module into Earth's atmosphere. The mission achieved several critical technical milestones, including the flight validation of the LVM3 vehicle, synchronized performance of the paired S200 solid rocket boosters, twin-engine operation of the Vikas engines in L110 stage, control-sharing algorithms across L110 and S200 stages, and complex separation mechanisms. The success also validated the entire integration, assembly, testing, and launch servicing processes, as well as the mission design and simulation cycles, ensuring readiness for future missions. The CARE experiment itself served as a platform to evaluate the aerothermal performance of the Crew Module and validate critical re-entry technologies. It successfully demonstrated blunt-body re-entry aerodynamics, thermal protection systems, parachute-based deceleration mechanisms, and recovery logistics, providing invaluable insights for further developments.

The success of the LVM3-X/CARE mission was instrumental in ISRO's journey toward self-reliance in launching heavier satellites. LVM3 has since completed seven successive successful launches. The insights gained from the CARE mission have also been pivotal in shaping ISRO's human spaceflight program. Iterations in the Crew Module design, along with subsequent pad abort tests, air-drop tests and test vehicle flights, are built on the foundational data provided by CARE.

The human-rating of LVM3 has been completed and all systems have been tested for enhanced reliability. Ground tests and flight tests in off-nominal conditions have ensured the performance of these systems in line with human safety requirements. The addition of the highly reliable Crew Escape System (CES) has further increased confidence for the manned missions planned by ISRO. Escape provision exists for the crew during all phases of ascent till injection of the module into orbit.

As India prepares for its maiden human spaceflight under the Gaganyaan programme, the legacy of the LVM3-X/CARE mission becomes more relevant. The Crew Module designed with enhanced safety margins and multiple redundancies, will fly aboard the Human-rated LVM3, ensuring the safety of the Gaganyatris. The data gained through the un-crewed flights will be instrumental for the success of the manned missions. Further, the experience from Gaganyaan programme will play a vital role in the construction and operationalization of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). This ambitious endeavour reflects ISRO's long-term vision and foresight to leverage established heritage for advancing India's space sector.

Dr. S Somanath, Mission Director of the LVM3-X/CARE mission now serves as the Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, while Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair, the Payload Director of the LVM3-X/ CARE mission became the founding Director of the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), Bengaluru and now leads the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.

At 8.45 Hrs on 18thDecember, 2024 at SDSC, the stacking of the nozzle end segment with full flex seal nozzle of the S200 motor took place, thus commencing the official launch campaign of the HLVM3-G1 / OM-1 mission.

Preparation of both the S200 motors will now take place with the assembly of segments, control systems and avionics. L110 and C32 stages for the HLVM3 are ready at the launch complex. The Crew escape systems elements are also received at SDSC. The integration of Crew Module is happening at VSSC and the integration of Service Module at URSC. The Orbital Module (OM) level integration and tests will take place subsequently at URSC, Bangalore.

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