Chennai

The top priority of Dr S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of India's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is to implement the important missions scheduled for the year 2022. 

Advertisment

This includes the culmination of rocket launch missions and a few technology demonstrations and crucial tests. 

VSSC is the lead centre for the development of rockets and launch vehicle technology of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). 

Dr Nair is also the Director, Human Spaceflight Centre, which is responsible for India's ambitious 'Gaganyaan' mission to send astronauts to space, on board an indigenous rocket in a crew module (habitat for astronauts). 

Advertisment

WION spoke to Dr Unnikrishnan Nair to understand his vision for VSSC and the important developments that are underway.

Among the crucial requirements of a Human Spaceflight mission, is the ability to detach at will the crew module that sits atop the rocket and carry it to safety, in case of a failure or mission abort. 

The ability to save the habitat that contains the astronauts has to be done under two scenarios - at the launch pad, in case an issue is detected with the rocket, or in-flight if there is a risk in going ahead with the mission. While ISRO had conducted the former (Pad abort test) once, the agency is presently working on demonstrating the ability to successfully detach the crew module, while the rocket is in-flight.

Advertisment

Also read | Indian Coast Guard inducts made-in-India choppers for maritime security of west coast

"We have realised a multi-purpose rocket known as 'TV' (Test Vehicle) to accomplish various demonstrations. This vehicle will be powered by the engine of a liquid fuel strap-on motor used on the GSLV Mk 2 rocket, which is ISRO's trusted and reliable Vikas engine. During the test, it can carry the crew module to the required altitude depending upon mission requirements. Once the rocket and crew module separate, the crew module will be on its own and deploy parachutes to slowly splash land on water" Dr Nair explained.

According to him, the Test Vehicle can be modified to demonstrate the possibility of vertical landing. 

Besides this, the test vehicle will also be used to carry ISRO's air-breathing technology demonstrator, which aims to use atmospheric oxygen (as oxidiser) to burn the fuel it carries, rather than carrying an oxidiser on board. 

Using air-breathing propulsion and re-using the rocket is widely regarded as a means to reduce the launch cost as compared to conventional rockets that fall back into the sea and are unusable after a single flight.

In the first half of this year, ISRO will also be testing the final landing phase of its Re-usable launch vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), which is similar to a winged rocket, that can be launched vertically and can land like an aircraft. 

To test the landing phase of this vehicle, the prototype will be carried to an altitude of 2-3 km by helicopter, following which it will be released.

Another important technology is the 'Inflatable aerodynamic decelerator', a mechanism that can be used to slow down the re-entry vehicles or rocket stages that are re-entering the earth's atmosphere. 

Meant to promote the reusability of rockets, this concept involves using a compact inflatable mechanism that remains closed during launch and will open up (inflate) while the rocket is re-entering, thus slowing it down. 

"It is similar to how a parachute works, but parachutes are meant for subsonic speeds (slower than the speed of sound) and lower altitudes. This concept can be used for operating at hypersonic or supersonic speeds. This can also be applied for slowing down while attempting landing on planets like Mars," Dr Unnikrishnan elaborated.

Also read | India: Army teams mobilised to rescue trekker stuck in crevice for 30 hours

Queried on the progress of the Gaganyaan mission, Dr Nair who is also the Director, Human Spaceflight Centre said that the propulsion stages of the service module (the component that will propel the crew module in space) is undergoing testing, the crew training is progressing and that parachutes would be tested during the in-flight abort test. 

Notably, Gaganyaan will have two unmanned flights, before the actual mission that aims to ferry Indian astronauts to space, facilitate in-orbit experiments and return by splashing down in the ocean.

An alumnus of Kerala University (B.Tech in Mech Engineering), IISc, Bengaluru (ME in Aerospace engineering) and IIT-Madras (PhD in Mechanical Engineering), Dr Unnikrishnan Nair took charge as Director, VSSC, earlier this week. 

He had started his career in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, in 1985. 

During his initial tenure at VSSC, he has made significant contributions to launch vehicle mechanisms, acoustic protection systems and payload fairing areas.

He was associated with Human Spaceflight Programme since its inception as the Project Director for technology development activities.

He had also served as Programme Director of Advanced Space Transportation System, leading all advanced projects like Human Spaceflight, Air Breathing Propulsion and Reusable Launch Vehicle Development.