Isro chief discusses Sunita Williams' return, Gaganyaan Mission's progress

India Today

In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Isro chief Dr V. Narayanan discusses the return of Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station and Gaganyaan Mission's progress.

Transcript

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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