ISRO Completes Key Tests for Gaganyaan Mission's Parachute System

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the successful completion of vital qualification tests for drogue parachutes on 20 December 2025. These tests were conducted as part of the preparations for the Gaganyaan Crew Module, India’s first human spaceflight programme.

Union Minister for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, confirmed the tests were executed at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh on 18 and 19 December. He described the achievement as a crucial milestone in ensuring the reliability and performance of the parachute system under varied flight conditions.

"Heartening to note that India has moved one more step closer to its first human space mission, Gaganyaan," Singh remarked, highlighting the importance of these tests in the overall mission framework.

The Gaganyaan Crew Module's deceleration system consists of a total of 10 parachutes, comprising four distinct types. The deployment sequence initiates with two apex cover separation parachutes that detach the protective cover of the parachute compartment, followed by two drogue parachutes which stabilise the module and reduce its speed during descent.

Once the drogue parachutes have been deployed, three pilot parachutes are released, which subsequently extract the three main parachutes. These main parachutes are essential for further decelerating the crew module to ensure a safe landing.

ISRO explained that the drogue parachutes serve a vital role in stabilising the crew module and reducing its velocity to safe levels during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The organisation underscored that the tests aimed to rigorously assess the performance and reliability of the drogue parachutes under extreme conditions.

The successful execution of these tests signifies another important step toward qualifying the parachute system for human spaceflight. This achievement involved the collaborative efforts of various departments, including the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL).

Furthermore, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan revealed last week that the Gaganyaan mission is scheduled for launch in 2027. The space agency has already conducted over 8,000 experiments, focusing on various aspects such as air quality, temperature regulation, waste management, and emergency protocols.

Dr Narayanan stated, "The first unmanned mission will take place in late 2025, followed by two additional missions in 2026 to validate the entire stack, which includes the rocket, crew module, and re-entry systems. We are diligently working on the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space using our own rocket system."