Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday announced the successful completion of a crucial test on the main parachutes designed for the Gaganyaan Crew Module. The test was conducted on November 3 at the Babina Field Firing Range (BFFR) in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
According to ISRO, the trial was part of the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Tests (IMAT) series, aimed at qualifying the parachute system for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. The mission seeks to send a three-member Indian crew into space for three days and bring them safely back to Earth.
ISRO is developing key components for the mission, including a human-rated launch vehicle, an orbital module, and a crew-escape system. Several unmanned missions will precede the crewed flight to ensure the reliability of critical systems.
The space agency detailed that the Gaganyaan Crew Module’s parachute system consists of ten parachutes of four types. The descent begins with two apex cover separation parachutes, followed by two drogue parachutes that stabilize and decelerate the module. Once the drogues are released, three pilot parachutes extract the three main parachutes, which slow down the Crew Module for a safe landing.
“The system is designed with redundancy—two of the three main parachutes are sufficient for a safe touchdown,” ISRO said. The main parachutes deploy in a gradual process known as reefed inflation, where the canopy opens partially before fully deploying after a set time, a process controlled by a pyrotechnic device.
During the recent test, ISRO simulated an extreme scenario involving a delay in the disreefing between two main parachutes. The system performed successfully, validating its ability to handle maximum design loads and ensuring structural integrity during asymmetric deployment—one of the most critical conditions expected during descent.
A test article replicating the Crew Module’s mass was dropped from an altitude of 2.5 km using an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft. The parachute system deployed as planned, ensuring a stable descent and soft landing, confirming the robustness of the design.
ISRO said the successful test marks a major milestone in qualifying the parachute system for human spaceflight. The test involved collaboration between the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Air Force, and Indian Army.
