India’s crewed space mission: Gaganyaan Propulsion System clears tests — Why this matters

With India’s first astronaut on the International Space Station, Shubhanshu Shukla, currently in space, the country has achieved another important milestone in its space journey. Isro on Saturday said it has successfully completed the qualification tests for the Gaganyaan

Service Module Propulsion System

(SMPS). A 350-second

hot test

was conducted on Friday at the Isro Propulsion Complex in Tamil Nadu, validating the system's performance during off-nominal mission scenarios such as flight aborts. With this, Isro moves closer to launching astronauts into space which will include Shubhanshu Shukla, currently on ISS.

What is the propulsion system in Gaganyaan? The propulsion system is like the engine of the Gaganyaan Service Module. It helps move and control the spacecraft once it is in space. This includes tasks like adjusting the orbit, changing direction, slowing down before returning to Earth, and helping with emergency escape if something goes wrong during launch. The system runs on a special mix of two types of fuel (called bi-propellant) and has two key parts — the Liquid Apogee Motors (LAM), which handle big movements, and the Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, which help turn or adjust the position of the spacecraft. To test all this, Isro built a model that copies how the real system would work in space. This model had fuel tanks, helium gas for pressure, and all the necessary pipes and controls. Isro tested this model 25 times under different conditions — both normal and emergency-like situations. In total, the engine was fired for over 14,000 seconds to make sure it is safe and ready for astronauts.Why is this important? This test is a big step forward for India’s Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send astronauts into space. The 350-second trial was done to check if the engine works properly even during emergency situations — like if the mission has to be stopped in the middle of launch. Isro said the system worked just as expected. The engine system, called SMPS, was developed by ISRO’s

Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre

(LPSC) and tested at their Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This success means Isro has crossed an important stage in making sure the spacecraft is safe for humans. Now, the team will focus on more testing and putting all parts together before the actual astronaut mission is launched. Once Gaganyaan takes off, India will become the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia, and China, to send people into space using its own technology