Gaganyaan parachute test clears key hurdle ahead of India’s uncrewed G1 flight

Isro has cleared a key qualification test for the parachute system that will bring the Gaganyaan crew module safely back to Earth, ahead of the uncrewed G1 mission under India’s human spaceflight programme, the space agency said.

The fifth Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT-05), conducted on 7 July at the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment drop zone in Sheopur, dropped a simulated single main parachute and dummy payload from 2.5 km using an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft. The main parachute opened after an extractor and drogue parachute stabilised the payload, safely slowing the descent to terminal speed and validating the parachute’s design margins under peak expected loads.

The crew module’s full deceleration system comprises 10 parachutes across four types, deployed in sequence to slow the module for a safe splashdown. The test was conducted jointly by Isro, DRDO, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.

The successful qualification adds confidence ahead of the G1 mission, the first uncrewed demonstration flight before India attempts to send astronauts into orbit under Gaganyaan.