The story so far: The Gaganyaan mission aims to safely transport Indian astronauts to a low-earth orbit of around 400 km altitude using the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3) rocket as the launch vehicle, and to return them safely. In human space missions, crew safety is more important than mission success. It is imperative that safety is addressed during all phases: launch pad, ascent, orbit, and descent.

What is the CES?

A dedicated Crew Escape System (CES) will be used during the initial part of the atmospheric phase of the Gaganyaan mission to ensure crew safety in the event of a contingency that jeopardises the mission. The CES is designed to rapidly separate the crew module, along with the crew, from a malfunctioning launch vehicle, and move it to a safe distance in the least possible time.

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