Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Sivan on Saturday said the space agency was developing “green propulsion” for its ambitious human space flight mission, ‘Gaganyaan’. He also said it may be adopted for use in every stage of a rocket.
“As India continues to focus on economic growth, it needs to ensure that environmental damage is limited by adopting green technologies. ISRO has made space grade lithium-ion batteries and this technology is useful for mass adoption of electric vehicle”, he noted. On the green propellant, Mr Sivan said, “Even in the rocket propulsion, ISRO is developing green propulsion for its human space flight mission. In future, all the propulsion stages may adopt green propulsion,” he said.
According to ISRO, polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) a trusted workhorse of the space scientists — is a four-stage rocket filled with fuel which pushes the rocket to ensure that the satellite it carries is placed in the intended orbit. The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency had planned to launch its maiden human space flight mission ‘Gaganyaan’ by December 2021.
But early this month, ISRO indicated that it is likely to be delayed by one year due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.