Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Both these vessels are tasked with the crucial recovery process of the crew module. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on-board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions.

Recovering the adrift module, lifting it and securing it on the deck of a ship is no easy feat, as the crew module weighs in excess of 4.5 tonnes and this lifting task necessitates heavy-duty shipborne cranes. That's why the Indian Navy and the Shipping Corporation of India have deployed two adequately large vessels for this unique task at sea.

<img alt="SCI Saraswati" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aecdfba8-1479-4c3d-9f36-bc713d864fde" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DEJCVPTVYAAf06R.jpg" />

INS Shakti is the Indian Navy's fleet replenishment tanker. Simply put, it is a floating and moving fuel station, grocery store and much more, at sea. When Indian assets at sea require any supplies and replenishment, such massive tankers rendezvous with them and cater to the needs. A unique capability of the INS Shakti is its on-board heavy-duty crane that is capable of lifting loads as heavy as 30 tonnes. Displacing 27,500 tonnes, this vessel is among the largest that are operated by the Indian Navy. Replenishment tankers enable a Navy to conduct missions far from home shores.

ISRO's mission is a very unique one. It is an effort to test the system's required to rescue the astronaut capsule from a rocket that fails mid-flight. This is being carried out in preparation for India's ambitious Human Spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan'. As part of ISRO's 'TV-D1' test flight, a purpose-built rocket would be launched to an altitude that's a little more than that of passenger airliners. 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle would reach an altitude of 11.9 km and a speed of Mach 1.2(1480 kmph) and that's when the rocket would shut down, as pre-programmed.&nbsp;

Immediately, the crew escape system would be triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module would eject itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They would travel a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17 km altitude, the crew escape system and crew module would separate. While the rocket and the crew escape system free-fall into the sea, the crew module uses multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splashdown, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore.

Effectively, three massive aerospace components (each weighing several tonnes) would be splashing down at sea, a few kilometres away from the Indian spaceport. Therefore, both INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be positioned far away, at a safe distance. When they get the go-ahead to recover the fallen capsule, they would set sail for the splashdown site of the crew module and deploy their swimmers and divers to secure the floating object and then help the crane do the rest. As there are no berthing facilities in the vicinity of the spaceport, the vessels would have to offload the crew module at the Chennai port, that is less than 80 km from the spaceport.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt.

Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Both these vessels are tasked with the crucial recovery process of the crew module. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on-board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions. Recovering the adrift module, lifting it and securing it on the deck of a ship is no easy feat, as the crew module weighs in excess of 4.5 tonnes and this lifting task necessitates heavy-duty shipborne cranes. That's why the Indian Navy and the Shipping Corporation of India have deployed two adequately large vessels for this unique task at sea. INS Shakti is the Indian Navy's fleet replenishment tanker. Simply put, it is a floating and moving fuel station, grocery store and much more, at sea. When Indian assets at sea require any supplies and replenishment, such massive tankers rendezvous with them and cater to the needs. A unique capability of the INS Shakti is its on-board heavy-duty crane that is capable of lifting loads as heavy as 30 tonnes. Displacing 27,500 tonnes, this vessel is among the largest that are operated by the Indian Navy. Replenishment tankers enable a Navy to conduct missions far from home shores. ISRO's mission is a very unique one. It is an effort to test the system's required to rescue the astronaut capsule from a rocket that fails mid-flight. This is being carried out in preparation for India's ambitious Human Spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan'. As part of ISRO's 'TV-D1' test flight, a purpose-built rocket would be launched to an altitude that's a little more than that of passenger airliners. 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle would reach an altitude of 11.9 km and a speed of Mach 1.2(1480 kmph) and that's when the rocket would shut down, as pre-programmed. Immediately, the crew escape system would be triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module would eject itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They would travel a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17 km altitude, the crew escape system and crew module would separate. While the rocket and the crew escape system free-fall into the sea, the crew module uses multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splashdown, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore. Effectively, three massive aerospace components (each weighing several tonnes) would be splashing down at sea, a few kilometres away from the Indian spaceport. Therefore, both INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be positioned far away, at a safe distance. When they get the go-ahead to recover the fallen capsule, they would set sail for the splashdown site of the crew module and deploy their swimmers and divers to secure the floating object and then help the crane do the rest. As there are no berthing facilities in the vicinity of the spaceport, the vessels would have to offload the crew module at the Chennai port, that is less than 80 km from the spaceport. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Exclusive: India's INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati to recover ISRO Gaganyaan crew module from sea

Two warships of the Indian Navy--INS Kolkata and INS Shakti--are participating in a three-day Singapore naval and maritime event being held here, according to an official statement.&nbsp;

The International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia-2019) commenced on May 14 and will also witness the participation of some of India's leading engineering and shipbuilding firms, including Larsen &amp; Toubro and BrahMos, which makes the state-of-the-art air, sea and ground-launch cruise missiles.

"Vice-Admiral M S Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff led the delegation to the Asia Pacific gathering of naval and maritime event," the Indian High Commission here said in a statement. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

INS Kolkata is an advanced stealth destroyer capable of engaging multiple threats from the air, sea and underwater and has been designed and built in India.

INS Shakti is a fleet support ship to provide fuel, provisions and munitions to warships at sea.

Following IMDEX, Indian Naval ships together with an Indian Navy surveillance aircraft P8I will participate in the 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) scheduled from May 16 to 22, 2019.&nbsp;

SIMBEX is the longest uninterrupted naval exercise that India has with any other country, the statement said.

Regular participation by the Indian Navy in the IMDEX and SIMBEX reflects the importance India attaches to the exercises and the broader strategic partnership with Singapore and it also reaffirms our Act East Policy, it said.

The 26th SIMBEX is taking place 6 months after the last edition that took place in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal from November 11 to 21 last year.&nbsp;

It involved live weapon firings and complex military manoeuvres, including those of aircraft and submarines.&nbsp;

The 25th SIMBEX was witnessed by Singapore's Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.

Earlier in October 2018, India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Singapore to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus.

The Indian Army and the Singapore Army recently held their 12th edition of the annual exercise Bold Kurukshetra, an annual joint training exercise for Armoured Units from April 8 to 12, 2019, at the Indian Army training facility at Babina in Uttar Pradesh, the statement said.

Likewise, Air Forces of both countries will exercise together later this year in India, it said.

India and Singapore share a strong and rapidly growing defence relation which is the key pillar of India Singapore strategic partnership based on deep mutual trust and goodwill and shared interest in rules-based order, maritime security and an open, inclusive and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

Our defence relation includes annual ministerial dialogue, Secretary level defence policy dialogue, Staff talks between the three wings of the armed forces, mutual logistics support, regular exercises and exchange of ship visits, the statement said.&nbsp;

Two warships of the Indian Navy--INS Kolkata and INS Shakti--are participating in a three-day Singapore naval and maritime event being held here, according to an official statement.

Two warships of the Indian Navy--INS Kolkata and INS Shakti--are participating in a three-day Singapore naval and maritime event being held here, according to an official statement. The International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia-2019) commenced on May 14 and will also witness the participation of some of India's leading engineering and shipbuilding firms, including Larsen & Toubro and BrahMos, which makes the state-of-the-art air, sea and ground-launch cruise missiles. "Vice-Admiral M S Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff led the delegation to the Asia Pacific gathering of naval and maritime event," the Indian High Commission here said in a statement. INS Kolkata is an advanced stealth destroyer capable of engaging multiple threats from the air, sea and underwater and has been designed and built in India. INS Shakti is a fleet support ship to provide fuel, provisions and munitions to warships at sea. Following IMDEX, Indian Naval ships together with an Indian Navy surveillance aircraft P8I will participate in the 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) scheduled from May 16 to 22, 2019. SIMBEX is the longest uninterrupted naval exercise that India has with any other country, the statement said. Regular participation by the Indian Navy in the IMDEX and SIMBEX reflects the importance India attaches to the exercises and the broader strategic partnership with Singapore and it also reaffirms our Act East Policy, it said. The 26th SIMBEX is taking place 6 months after the last edition that took place in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal from November 11 to 21 last year. It involved live weapon firings and complex military manoeuvres, including those of aircraft and submarines. The 25th SIMBEX was witnessed by Singapore's Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. Earlier in October 2018, India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Singapore to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus. The Indian Army and the Singapore Army recently held their 12th edition of the annual exercise Bold Kurukshetra, an annual joint training exercise for Armoured Units from April 8 to 12, 2019, at the Indian Army training facility at Babina in Uttar Pradesh, the statement said. Likewise, Air Forces of both countries will exercise together later this year in India, it said. India and Singapore share a strong and rapidly growing defence relation which is the key pillar of India Singapore strategic partnership based on deep mutual trust and goodwill and shared interest in rules-based order, maritime security and an open, inclusive and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. Our defence relation includes annual ministerial dialogue, Secretary level defence policy dialogue, Staff talks between the three wings of the armed forces, mutual logistics support, regular exercises and exchange of ship visits, the statement said.

Indian warships take part in international maritime defence exhibition in Singapore

Two Indian naval ships -- INS 'Kolkata' and 'Shakti' -- would take part in the Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary of celebrations later this month.

The two ships are scheduled to visit Chinese port of Qingdao from April 21 to 26 to participate in an International Fleet Review to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, an Indian Embassy press release said here on Sunday.

During the visit, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri long with the Commanding Officer of INS Kolkata, Captain Aditya Hara, will host an onboard reception for the public.&nbsp;

INS Kolkata is the lead ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. It lists of armaments reportedly included Brahmos supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles.&nbsp;

INS Shakti is tanker and supply ship.

The PLA Navy which is fast expanding its fleet including the aircraft carriers as China intensified efforts to increase global presence and influence plans to have grand celebrations to commemorate the event.&nbsp;

China's defence spokesman Col Wu Qian told the media on March 28 that over 60 countries would join the commemorative event for the PLA Navy's 70th founding anniversary on April 23.

It will include various activities, including high-level symposiums, an international fleet inspection, joint military music display, cultural and sports exchanges, among others.

Two Indian naval ships -- INS 'Kolkata' and 'Shakti' -- would take part in the Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary of celebrations later this month. The two ships are scheduled to visit Chinese port of Qingdao from April 21 to 26 to participate in an International Fleet Review to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, an Indian Embassy press release said here on Sunday.

Two Indian naval ships -- INS 'Kolkata' and 'Shakti' -- would take part in the Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary of celebrations later this month. The two ships are scheduled to visit Chinese port of Qingdao from April 21 to 26 to participate in an International Fleet Review to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, an Indian Embassy press release said here on Sunday. During the visit, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri long with the Commanding Officer of INS Kolkata, Captain Aditya Hara, will host an onboard reception for the public. INS Kolkata is the lead ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. It lists of armaments reportedly included Brahmos supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles. INS Shakti is tanker and supply ship. The PLA Navy which is fast expanding its fleet including the aircraft carriers as China intensified efforts to increase global presence and influence plans to have grand celebrations to commemorate the event. China's defence spokesman Col Wu Qian told the media on March 28 that over 60 countries would join the commemorative event for the PLA Navy's 70th founding anniversary on April 23. It will include various activities, including high-level symposiums, an international fleet inspection, joint military music display, cultural and sports exchanges, among others.

Two Indian naval ships to take part in Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary celebrations

ins-shakti

Ins Shakti, News on Ins Shakti, stories on Ins Shakti, articles on Ins Shakti, Ins Shakti stories at Wion, Ins Shakti news, Ins Shakti latest news

ins shakti

Exclusive: India's INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati to recover ISRO Gaganyaan crew module from sea

Indian warships take part in international maritime defence exhibition in Singapore

Two Indian naval ships to take part in Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary celebrations