BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has completed transportation of its antenna to be installed at the telemetry, tracking and command (TTC) for the station it is setting up in Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Island for tracking of the Gaganyaan orbital module.
TOI was the first to report that Isro and the Australian Space Agency (ASA) were in talks for the said tracking station at Cocos (Keeling) Islands, in 2021. And, in 2022, the implementation arrangement with ASA was executed for establishing transportable TTC terminal at Cocos Island for ascent phase support.
The Australian Space Agency officially confirmed the development and said: “Australia’s support for India’s Gaganyaan Human Space Flight Programme has reached new heights with Isro’s tracking antenna, and control, storage and mess containers from Nova Systems arriving at Site 5 of the Old Quarantine Station on the Cocos Islands.”
Isro will need a 360° view for Gaganyaan as it cannot afford to have any blind spot, and the station in Australia is part of a larger initiative to have stations in multiple locations, aside from using stations belonging to other space agencies through agreements.
An ASA spokesperson had told TOI earlier that aside from providing the site for the tracking station at Cocos Island, ASA would also lead cross-government coordination on Isro’s request to place temporary ground station tracking facilities. “...This includes facilitating advice to Isro from a number of Commonwealth agencies which will need to grant approvals for the project to go ahead,” the spokesperson had said.
Isro, which is targeting the launch of the first uncrewed mission under Gaganyaan this year, has said that it has completed more than 8,000 ground tests in 2025, moving into the final phase of preparations for its first uncrewed mission.
As per Isro, a High-Level Review Committee was set up for close monitoring, alongside a comprehensive zero-based audit of documents.
“Organisational changes were introduced in the Environmental Control and Life Support System based on available expertise across centres. An Integrated Mission Review Committee is examining critical aspects to address design and simulation gaps and strengthen mission strategy.”
All propulsion tests required for human rating have been completed. Software simulations are under way at multiple test beds, with environmental tests expected to conclude shortly to keep the uncrewed mission on schedule.
On the hardware front, the first Integrated Air Drop Test validated parachute deployment and sea recovery of the crew module. Parachute deployment and recovery systems were also tested through air-drop and drogue parachute trials. Experience from the Axiom-4 mission, which carried Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, is being fed back into training and mission planning.
Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of Indi...
Read MoreChethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment