Gaganyaan Mission : ISRO to send Indian into space by 2022
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Successful accomplishment of Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests for Gaganyaan
December 20, 2025
ISRO has successfully completed a series of qualification tests for Drogue Parachutes for the development of deceleration system of Gaganyaan Crew Module at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, during December 18-19, 2025.
The deceleration system of Gaganyaan Crew Module comprises of a total of 10 parachutes of 4 types. The descent sequence begins with two apex cover separation parachutes that remove the protective cover of the parachute compartment, followed by two drogue parachutes that stabilize and decelerate the module. Upon release of the drogues, three pilot parachutes are deployed to extract three main parachutes, which further slowdown the Crew Module to ensure a safe touchdown.
A crucial component of this system is the deployment of drogue parachutes, which play a pivotal role in stabilizing the Crew Module and also reducing its velocity to a safe level during re-entry.
The objective of this specific test series was to rigorously evaluate the performance and reliability of the drogue parachutes under extreme conditions. Both the RTRS tests on drogue parachutes were successfully conducted on December 18 & 19, 2025 achieving all the test objectives and confirming their robustness even under the situation of significant variation in flight conditions.
The successful completion of these tests marks another significant step toward qualifying the parachute system for human spaceflight, with active support and participation from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), DRDO and Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), DRDO.
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Successful accomplishment of Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests for Gaganyaan
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: ACHIEVEMENTS OF GAGANYAAN MISSION
The major accomplishments under the Gaganyaan programme in the past year include the following:· IADT-01 successfully demonstrated the objective of end-to-end performance validation of the critical parachute-based deceleration system of the Crew Module for Gaganyaan mission in nominal mission scenarios.
· For TV-D2 mission, electrical and mechanical integration activities of Crew Module completed. Environmental tests completed.
· Standalone checks of integrated Crew Module and Service Module completed for G1. Integrated software simulations being carried out.
· Service Module Propulsion System hot test for 350s to validate the integrated performance for off-nominal mission profile.
· Parachute systems: As part of the Rail Track Rocket Sled test, clustered deployment of drogue parachutes under extreme conditions of dynamic pressures carried out.
· Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test conducted to demonstrate the delay in disreefing between the two main parachutes.
· Ground Qualification Tests of Crew Escape System motors, Orbital Module Adaptor, Service Module structure, Service Module Fairing, separation systems and pyros carried out.
1st Test vehicle mission and 1st Integrated Airdrop tests were successful and met all the test objectives. Based on the technical observations, certain improvements such as crew module uprighting systems, additional checks during parachute assembly, have been incorporated.
The cumulative expenditure as on January 2026 is ~ ₹6018 Crores.
Risk mitigation in the actual flight is carried out by conducting extensive ground tests simulating various failure scenario. For instance, in the recent integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test, one drogue and one main parachute failure case was simulated and system performance was verified successfully. In October 2024, the scope of Gaganyaan programme was revised from three missions (G1, G2, H1) to eight missions. It includes three uncrewed missions G1, G2, G3 followed by two crewed missions (H1 & H2) followed by docking mission to any space station (G4), launch of BAS-01 and docking mission to BAS-01 (G5).
This information was given by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
ISRO Launches Mission MITRA In Ladakh To Test Astronaut Resilience Under Extreme Conditions Ahead Of Gaganyaan Mission
ISRO has undertaken mission MITRA in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh
swarajyamag.com
Isro's Bold Move: Civilian Astronauts to Join Gaganyaan Missions | - The Times of India
Science News: Isro announces the inclusion of civilian astronauts in its Gaganyaan program, with four civilians set to join the second batch, marking a new era in India's space exploration efforts.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Total Pool Of 40
In all, the committee has proposed an astronaut cadre strength of up to 40, arguing that long-term uncertainties and evolving global opportunities warrant a larger margin in planning. The readiness of the second batch has been targeted in 72 months, with the third batch by 96 months.While the selection process and creation of an astronaut cadre is on expected lines given India's plans for a sustained human presence in space, the space agency is lagging in related infrastructure and technology development.
Isro currently only operates a temporary astronaut training centre and is yet to begin the process to set up a full-fledged facility. In terms of technology, even for the first uncrewed mission, Isro is lagging in several aspects, the most crucial being ECLSS (environment control and life support systems) without which no astronaut can venture into space.
P.S. See the image in the article for more details.
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