00:00Let's show you what really the capsule looks like the dragon spacecraft capsule in which currently sunita is traveling
00:08Front you see the front view the hatch that's there. It's from there that the astronauts enter inside
00:14There is in fact a capacity of seven
00:16But right now there are four people inside crew nine commander nick haig sunita herself butch wilmo
00:22And also you have the roscosmos cosmonaut
00:24alexander
00:26Gorbunov now all four of them are currently seated in this capsule where you see in the body
00:31Right below that is the trunk payload in this particular case doesn't look like or at least we don't know what really the payload is
00:38Carrying but the rest of it is also an extension now
00:42Look on the other side that particular area has also the solar panels along with the thruster
00:48The thruster of course plays a key role in ensuring that when it enters into earth's orbit
00:54The dragon spacecraft and the entire capsule kind of stabilizes and then makes a downward controlled
01:01descent into india into earth and
01:05close to florida's coast
01:09All right to explain to you what exactly this entire mission looks like
01:13What can you expect closer to 3 30 tomorrow morning when sunita williams is expected to come back home to return to planet earth
01:21I spoke to isro chief. Dr
01:23V narayanan about the entire mission and also perhaps the lessons that isro is taking from this mission for gaganyaan
01:35Joining us now here on india today is the isro chief. Dr. V narayanan. Mr. Narayanan vanakkam
01:42Thank you very much for your time. It's an honor to have you here with us on india today
01:46I'm sure you sir joined the entire world in keeping our fingers crossed to ensure the safe return
01:51Of sunita williams at butch wilmo, but i'd love to know from you sir
01:56How exactly this kind of omission works? How does the dragon spacecraft now return back to earth's orbit?
02:02We've seen the undocking happening successfully
02:07As all of you know, uh today morning, uh 10 35 the entire undocking process has started
02:14And they have operated because a lot of thrusters are there the thrusters are operated
02:20In fact already three times if i am correct, it is operated and fourth time is going to be operated by around 2 30 or so
02:27then
02:28um by
02:29That process they will come
02:31Then last phase is by the parachute deployment
02:35and
02:36If my understanding is correct tomorrow early morning indian time something around
02:423 27 or so
02:44Madam is going to successfully land
02:47and
02:48We all are expecting for the great event
02:51but
02:52As a techno manager, I can very well say the effort put by the team is very good
02:59And they will be safely and successfully landing
03:03Dr. Narayanan, you know with your expertise, I'd love to know from you
03:08How complicated really is this kind of a mission to bring astronauts back to earth to ensure successful splashdown
03:14No, it's a very very complex mission
03:18because please understand
03:20from the ISS
03:22coming back
03:23And then you have to cross the dense atmosphere when you enter there will be a lot of heat flux generation
03:30And of course the entire model has got that capability
03:33Then in a very very controlled way they are to be brought down
03:36And all the system has to work in a synchronized and cohesive way in an autonomous way it has to work
03:43and then
03:45Being a propulsion expert. I can understand the propulsion system
03:49Has to work properly, but I am sure the way already it is demonstrated. It is system is working
03:56fantastically well
03:59So that's what I'm we are also noticing and then
04:03I expect a perfect and successful
04:06landing
04:07We all hope so sir. Can you explain to us?
04:10Dr. Narayanan because everyone's going to be watching this live and not all of us of course are experts
04:15We don't really know what to watch out for. What is the most critical maneuver to you sir?
04:19That you'll see completed and when that's completed you will say look this is going to be a successful mission
04:26No
04:26Critically say when you are traveling from space back, you know
04:31A lot of criticalities are there number one the safety of the
04:35Astronauts, of course here there are two astronauts. Their safety is very very important
04:40And the entire mission operation what has to be done executed. It's a 17 hours equivalent mission operation
04:47from
04:49the time of separation to
04:51Landing and it has to undergo different phases
04:55Uh
04:56and then the of course the thrusters have to work and then
04:59One should not land with high velocity and everything has to be controlled away
05:04but they have highly they have got full expertise and
05:09Close loop control system. Everything is available
05:12And and finally they have to land with the parachutes
05:17Surely they will come back and land safely
05:20Why do we see always these kind of returns happening in water why is it always a splash down
05:27No, you say there are so many ways of landing and yes
05:34It is it is depending upon how the mission you plan and decide
05:39because
05:40Whether you land on moon, I mean
05:43Land or this one the process is same only
05:47But then it is the way they they would have planned the mission
05:51Uh, you know for sunita williams and butch willmore, sir, they were supposed to be in space for eight days
05:56Instead it became nine months and perhaps more than that also
06:00And obviously, of course, we're all praying that they return safely. But even post that sir
06:05uh, it is of course going to be challenging for sunita williams and butch willmore to kind of again, uh,
06:11Adapt to living in earth. How challenging is that sir living in space versus
06:16People are expert in this field once madam lands they will be taken and put through the required medical
06:23Tests and all the required medical things will be given
06:27And these are all well-known well-established to process
06:30And of course nine months madam was there and I think they were enthusiastically doing a lot of experiments
06:37and then once she lands probably the
06:40Uh, the way madam is talking, uh, I can understand they are totally in order
06:45And then once they land, I think the medical team will take care of them
06:49I agree. She's been very very positive through i'm sure what's been a very very hard time. Uh, dr
06:55Narayanan, you know, you mentioned the experiments that she's been a part of in space for the last many months
07:00Do you think this mission or what sunita williams has been doing in the last many months in space?
07:04Also gives us some key takeaways for isro particularly keeping in mind gaganya
07:09No isro is the organization. We
07:12always
07:14We isro is the organization
07:16We really always learn the lesson from our own experience also
07:22the experience of others
07:25Because
07:27In order to accomplish a successful mission
07:29You should be very smart enough to understand what is happening and that we do our team really do our various team
07:36They do that activity
07:38In fact, you all may be knowing mars orbiter mission the mission to red planet
07:43India is the first country which succeeded in the first attempt and we have learned the lesson from others
07:50Others whatever observation was there. We have learned the lesson and we have perfectly executed
07:55and thereby
07:56Whenever we take up a new mission, we also understand what is happening elsewhere. What are all the things you have to take home?
08:04For executing our mission successfully
08:06So we take all the expertise all the knowledge
08:11All the observations available in the similar missions
08:15So that we will do our mission in a most professional cost effective and successful way
08:23You know every once in a while dr narayanan
08:26There's one incident that again triggers a lot of curiosity over space over the exploration of space
08:32And everyone's right now focused also on gaganya and i'm sure our viewers would love to know sir
08:36The status of really that mission if you could tell us
08:39How much you can really about what's really happening on that front?
08:44You know to accomplish the gaganya we have to do a lot of developments one is the
08:49vehicle has to be human rated human rating means improving the redundancies enhancing the
08:55reliability aspects
08:57and improving the margin
08:59Subjecting the subsystems and major system to enough number of tests
09:04and with respect to the vehicle almost I will say 90 percent tests are completed and except
09:11One or two areas you have to complete some more tests. Otherwise, the vehicle is
09:15Almost human rated second thing is the orbital module in which the gaganya is out to be there
09:23We have to maintain the required pressure temperature
09:25The carbon dioxide has to be controlled
09:28And partial pressure of oxygen relative humidity
09:32So towards that lot of development what we call it as a environmental control and safety system
09:36Lot of development works are going on and we are reaching the final phase
09:41Then another important thing is during the entire
09:45mission
09:46If anything happens to the hardware
09:49Or the rockets or any systems then it's our prime responsibility
09:54to safeguard the
09:56Gaganya-3s. So we have developed a crew escape system
10:01and
10:02and that we are in the process of
10:05completely qualifying the system couple of
10:07Important experiments we have done using a test vehicle. In fact, we have done we took a module to
10:13some altitude and we simulated a
10:16Failure condition and that was the it was brought down safely
10:20rather using a crew escape system it was lifted off and
10:25Safely
10:26Landed in the seawater and our navy ship went and picked up. In fact, I was
10:32Very happy to participate in that entire program
10:35Rather the vehicle development we only did I was the mission readiness review committee chairperson
10:40And we also went and received the module
10:42from the navy in chennai
10:44and
10:45then coming to the entire mission end-to-end mission starting from the liftoff of the rocket to
10:52Rocket test to 170 kilometers from there. We have to take them to 400 kilometers keep them
10:58Oriented and safely in that orbit then after the required orbital periods orbits
11:03We have to bring them back
11:05And for taking from 170 kilometer to 400 kilometer and bringing to some level propulsion systems are required those things are
11:12Completely developed tested and the final phase of qualification is going on
11:17then in the final phase
11:19They have to be brought down using parachutes same way whatever now madam
11:25When she lands they will be using parachutes
11:28So parachutes almost nine numbers of parachutes are required and all the testing qualification is almost completed. I will say
11:36now
11:37We have clearly put because human life is involved simply
11:40You cannot put them in a in a launcher and we cannot send so before sending
11:44Them and bringing them back safe safely. We are planning three uncrewed missions
11:49and first uncrewed mission
11:51with a
11:53biometra
11:54Is going to lift off from indian soil this year. We are working towards that subsequently
12:00We have to study the results and accomplish two uncrewed two more uncrewed missions
12:06then
12:07After studying all the results if it is consistent and if you are all convinced and the nation is convinced we will authorize
12:15the
12:15crude mission
12:18Okay, we are convinced when you are sir
12:20Can I just say that we're so incredibly proud of what you and your entire team is doing?
12:25We wish you all the very very best. Will you be watching sir tomorrow at 3 27?
12:31And because
12:33It is an exciting moment
12:35And we'll be observing. Yeah, i'm sure i'm sure. Thank you so much. Uh, dr. Thank you. Thank you very much for joining. Thank you
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