Gaganyaan Test Launch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation after the first test flight of India's proposed maiden manned space mission was conducted successfully. The lift off of the TV-D1 launch vehicle from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh was carried out at 10 am after initial postposments due to technical glitches.

"This launch takes us one step closer to realising India’s first human space flight program, Gaganyaan. My best wishes to our scientists at [ISRO]," PM Modi said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

ISRO successfully executed the Test Flight Abort Mission, for the Gaganyaan mission on Saturday after the first test flight was initially aborted due to a problem in the engine ignition.

Top Updates From Maiden Gaganyaan Test Flight:

- "TV-D1 Test Flight is accomplished. Crew Escape System performed as intended. Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note," ISRO said on its website.

- The crew escape module of the TV-D1 launch vehicle made a soft landing in the Bay of Bengal.

- "We are very happy to announce the success of the mission. The purpose of the mission was to demonstrate the crew escape system. The vehicle went slightly above the speed of sound, before it initiated the crew escape system," ISRO chief S Somanath said from the mission centre.

(ISRO's TV-D1 Launch Vehicle During Lift-Off. Pic Credits: ISRO)

- "After the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3, our nation is ready to take its next giant stride in the realm of space. Today the [ISRO] launched #Gaganyaan's TV-D1 Test Flight into space scripting another remarkable space odyssey. My heartfelt congratulations to our scientists and our citizens on this momentous occasion of success and fulfilment," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter).

(ISRO's TV-D1 Launch Vehicle During Lift-Off. Pic Credits: ISRO)

- The lift-off of the TV-D1 took place at 10 am on Saturday (October 21) after initial postponments at 8 am, 8:30 am, and 8:45 am due to technical glitches.

- The TV-D1 is a liquid-propelled single stage test vehicle that uses a modified VIKAS engine with Crew Module (CM) and Crew Escape System (CES) mounted at its fore end, the ISRO said.

 

(With inputs from ANI)