ISRO, the Indian space agency, recently announced that it has started developing the Mark-3 Human Capable Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) for the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send humans into space for the first time. This assembly is taking place at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, and marks an important milestone in India’s journey towards human spaceflight.

This event also celebrates the 10th anniversary of a previous mission called Launch Vehicle Mark-3, which took place on December 18, 2014.

ISRO has confirmed that the HLVM3 has been thoroughly tested to ensure it can safely transport astronauts. The agency has included a reliable crew evacuation system that will protect the crew in the event of an emergency during takeoff.

The HLVM3 is a large rocket measuring 53 meters high and weighing 640 tonnes. It can carry around 10 tons of cargo into space. To keep astronauts safe, the crew module was designed with additional safety features and backup systems.

The data collected during the first uncrewed flights will be very useful for future manned missions. Additionally, what ISRO learns from the Gaganyaan program will help build the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, a planned space station.

On December 18, 2024, at 8:45 a.m., the assembly process officially began with the stacking of specific rocket components. Subsequently, the agency will prepare other important rocket parts and systems needed for the mission.

Currently, the crew module is being assembled at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, while preparations for other parts are taking place at another facility in Bangalore. After these steps, further integrations and testing will take place to ensure everything is mission ready.

Furthermore, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore should stay in space longer than initially planned. The astronauts were launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for the company’s first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Initially, their mission was only supposed to last a week. However, due to delays in launching their replacement crew, their stay in space was extended. They will now continue their journey at least until March 2025, almost ten months since their launch.

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