ISRO successfully conducts test vehicle mission ahead of human space flight programme

SRIHARIKOTA,OCTO 21: Nerves gave way to smiles at the spaceport here as delays and an anomaly-triggered ‘hold’ forced ISRO scientists to revise the launch schedule of a test vehicle carrying payloads related to the country’s ambitious human space flight mission, Gaganyaan which soared into skies after initial hiccups.

Students gather for the launch of ISRO’s TV-D1 test flight of Mission Gaganyaan, at Satish Dhawan Space Station, in Sriharikota

Following a two-hour delay and nerve-wracking moments after the engine of TV-D1 failed to ignite initially, ISRO scientists put the mission on course 75 minutes later when they launched the rocket with precision and achieved the goal of Crew Module and Crew Escape separation that was welcomed with loud cheers at the Mission Control Center here.

-PTI