ISRO successfully tests parachute landing system ahead of Gaganyaan mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first Integrated Air-Drop Test (IADT) of the parachute-based deceleration system designed for its planned Gaganyaan human space flight mission.

The parachute system is crucial for controlled recovery of the crew module after atmospheric re-entry. The test is a critical phase in validating the safety mechanisms that will ensure the astronauts’ safe return to Earth and is an important step in the execution of the ambitious mission.

“ISRO successfully accomplishes first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) for end-to-end demonstration of parachute-based deceleration system for Gaganyaan missions. This test is a joint effort of ISRO, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard,” the space agency posted on its X handle on Sunday.

During the test, a replica of the crew module was airlifted to an altitude of about 13,000 feet by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter and then released mid-air. According to available information, a stabilizer parachute was deployed first to control the fall, followed by three drogue parachutes that extracted the three large main parachutes, which finally slowed the rate of descent for a safe splashdown in the sea.

Some of the ground tests for parachute assemblies were earlier conducted at DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh, where the rocket rail sledge that can attain speeds up to Mach 5 was used.

The successful test validates astronaut safety parameters, one of the most important requirements of the programme. Further tests will include additional parachute evaluations, pad abort trials and recovery rehearsals at sea.

While the manned mission is scheduled for launch in 2027, ISRO chairman V Narayanan recently said at a press conference that the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, the G1, will conduct its test flight in December 2025 with the half-humanoid robot Vyommitra on board.

He also said that the Gaganyaan mission was progressing well with around 7,700 tests, accounting for around 80 per cent of all technical evaluations, conducted so far. The remaining 2,300 tests are expected to be completed by March 2026.

The crew module, for which today’s parachute trials were conducted, has been constructed by the defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Notably, the module underwent its first uncrewed experimental flight back in December 2014.

The Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden manned space venture, is designed to carry a three-member crew to an orbit of about 400 km for a period of up to three days before returning to Earth.