Teslafounder, Elon Musk commented Congratulations on ISRO’s tweet on Wednesday. TheIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the thirdlong-duration hot test on the Vikas Engine that would launch the ambitiousGaganyaan programme.
ISROtested the liquid propellant Vikas Engine as part of the engine qualificationrequirements for the Gaganyaan programme. ISRO said in a statement that thetest was conducted for the core L110 liquid stage of the human-rated GSLV MkIIIvehicle. The space agency further stated in a press release, “The performanceof the engine met the test objectives and the engine parameters were closelymatching with the predictions during the entire duration of the test.”
Theengine was fired for duration of 240 seconds at the ISRO facility in TamilNadu’s Mahendragiri. The objective of the Gaganyaan programme is to demonstratethe capability to send humans to low earth orbit onboard an Indian launchvehicle and bring them back to earth. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Stateof Space, said in February that the first unmanned mission is planned in December2021 and the second mission is scheduled in 2022-23.
FourIndian astronaut candidates have already undergone generic space flighttraining in Russia as a part of the Gaganyaan Programme.
Thisis not the first time when Elon Musk has praised ISRO for their work. In February 2017, when ISRO launched 104 satellites on a single rocket, Elon Musktweeted for their enormous success.
ISROalso tweeted for the success of SpaceX and NASA on the “historic first launch.”
Muskhas been really supportive of every other space mission too. He congratulatedthe space research agency on their twitter handle. His one-word tweet also hasan Indian flag.