The reason for the timing change, initially unknown, is believed to be related to rainfall and cloudy weather conditions, according to the PTI news agency.
On Saturday, ISRO rescheduled the launch of its inaugural Test Vehicle for the Gaganyaan human space flight mission. Initially planned for liftoff at 8 am from the first launch pad, the uncrewed Test Vehicle D1 mission will now launch at 8:30 am from Sriharikota.
The reason for the timing change, initially unknown, is believed to be related to rainfall and cloudy weather conditions, according to the PTI news agency.
Following the announcement of the new launch time, the countdown timer displayed at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre was promptly removed. The 13-hour countdown process began on Friday at 7 pm.
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The TV-D1 test vehicle serves as a precursor to the Gaganyaan program, which aims to send humans into space on a Low Earth Orbit of 400 km for three days and ensure their safe return to Earth. This test flight will evaluate the performance of the Crew Escape system, a critical component of the Gaganyaan mission, and it will also assess the safe landing in the Bay of Bengal after the rocket launch.
Notably, ISRO has planned approximately 20 significant tests, including three uncrewed missions for the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3).
Named after the Sanskrit term for “craft” or “vehicle to the sky,” the Gaganyaan project has been developed at a cost of ₹90 billion. If successful, India will join an elite group of countries, including the Soviet Union, the US, and China, as the fourth nation to send a human into space.