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.
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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