ISRO successfully carries out human crew module experiment; module safely splashes down into Bay of Bengal off Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Narendra Modi congratulates ISRO on GSLV Mark-III launch

Successful launch of GSLV Mk-III is yet another triumph of brilliance & hardwork of our scientists. Congrats to them for the efforts. >@isro — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) >December 18, 2014

ISRO successfully carries out human crew module experiment; module safely splashes down into Bay of Bengal off Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: Main parachutes of the CARE module deployed successfully.

First experimental flight of LVM3 with CARE module successful. >pic.twitter.com/1wp1ka0EIo — ISRO (@isro) >December 18, 2014

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: CARE module in its tense atmospheric re-entry.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: CARE module separated and started its descent.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: Heat shield separated successfully.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: L110 stage separated.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: L110 stage performance normal.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: S200 stage performance normal.

ISRO: LVM3 X / CARE Mission Update: Lift off normal.

Test flight sequence of LVM3 X / CARE Mission. T- 5 minutes and counting. >pic.twitter.com/ZwXWM6xaD3 — ISRO (@isro) >December 18, 2014

India launches GSLV Mark-III, its largest rocket

The CREW module would be separated from the rocket about 325.52 seconds after the lift-off at 126.16 km altitude. The specially made parachutes would help the module ‘soft-crash’ in the Bay of Bengal, some few hundred km from Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which would later be fetched by Indian Coast Guard ships.

As per the plan, soon after the lift-off at Sriharikota, ISRO would study the flight validation of the complex atmospheric flight regime of LVM 3 and would also test the ability of the CREW module to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere with thermal resistance, parachute deployment in cluster formation, aero braking system and apex cover separation procedures.