On December 4 2024, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a crucial Technical Implementation Plan (TIP) aimed at providing critical ground tracking support for India’s Gaganyaan missions (human spaceflight mission).
- This collaborative effort was set to enhance the communication and monitoring of India’s 1st human spaceflight mission.
Background:
In August 2024, the TIP was signed by Anilkumar A K, Director of ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering & Quality at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the Netherlands in the presence of S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO and Didier van der Hasselt, Belgium’s Ambassador to India, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
Key Points :
i.The primary objective of this agreement is to enable ESA to provide ground station support for the Gaganyaan missions ensuring continuous data flow and communication with the Orbital Module during its orbital operations.
ii.This mission, a joint initiative between ISRO and New Space India Limited (NSIL) highlights India’s growing role in global space innovation and its partnership with ESA in advancing space technologies like formation flying and rendezvous techniques.
iii.This cooperation between ISRO and ESA reflects India’s expanding space capabilities and its vital role in the global space industry.
About Gaganyaan mission:
i.The name ‘Gaganyaan’ has its roots in Sanskrit translating to ‘sky and vehicle’ and the primary objective of this mission is to launch a team of astronauts into space, where they will travel at an altitude of 400 kilometer(km) above Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a three-day expedition before returning by landing in the Indian Ocean.
ii.The launch of the mission is expected to be in 2026.Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO will carry out 3 uncrewed space missions and 1 crewed mission.
iii.The first uncrewed mission is scheduled to take place in 2024-25, and the first crewed mission is scheduled in 2025-27.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
ISRO is one of the six largest space agencies in the world.
Chairman- Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
Headquarters-Â Bengaluru,Karnataka
Established– 1969
About European Space Agency (ESA):
Director General(DG)- Josef Aschbacher
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment– 1975
Members- 22
