Gaganyaan Mission Advances As ISRO Successfully Conducts Crucial Service Module Propulsion System Tests

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed two hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri on 3 July, an official statement from ISRO said.

The trials involved two short-duration hot tests lasting 30 seconds and 100 seconds, aimed at validating the system’s configuration and performance.

According to ISRO, the propulsion system operated normally and met all pre-test expectations.

Notably, during the 100-second test, ISRO demonstrated the simultaneous functioning of all Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters in various modes including steady-state and pulsed operations alongside all Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engines.

The Gaganyaan SMPS, developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), is a vital component of the Orbital Module and will play a crucial role in both orbital manoeuvring and specific emergency abort scenarios.

The system comprises five Liquid Apogee Motors, each capable of producing 440 Newtons of thrust, and 16 RCS thrusters, each delivering 100 Newtons of thrust.

The latest tests utilised an updated SMPS test article that incorporates enhancements drawn from previous trials, ensuring conditions that closely resemble the operational environment of the Gaganyaan mission.

With confidence boosted by these successful tests, ISRO confirmed plans to conduct a full-duration hot test in the near future.

The development gains significance as ISRO is planning to launch unmanned crew module of Gaganyaan mission, India's first human spaceflight programme.

This comes as Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first 'Gaganyatri', is acquiring invaluable experience of crewed spaceflight aboard the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission.

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