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Mission type | Launch escape system |
---|---|
Operator | ISRO |
Mission duration | 4 minutes, 25 seconds |
Apogee | 2.75 km (1.71 mi), |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Gaganyaan's boilerplate vehicle |
Manufacturer | ISRO |
Launch mass | 12.6 ton [1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 5 July 2018 |
Launch site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre |
The ISRO Pad Abort Test was an Indian Space Research Organisation launch escape system test of its crew module as part of Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The successful test took place on 5 July 2018.[2]
A Pad Abort Test is a trial run for the spacecraft's launch abort system (sometimes called a launch escape system). This system is designed to quickly get the crew and spacecraft away from the rocket in the event of a potential failure. It is similar to an ejection seat for a fighter pilot, but instead of ejecting the pilot out of the spacecraft, the entire spacecraft is "ejected" away from the launch vehicle. The technology developed is expected to be applied to the first Indian crewed spacecraft called Gaganyaan, scheduled to be launched no earlier than 2024.[3]