Gaganyaan Crew Module Passes A Critical Re-Entry Test

In a big step forward for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully carried out an Integrated Air Drop Test.

This test simulated the crew module’s re-entry, the deployment of all parachutes, and the recovery of the crew module.

During the test, a Chinook helicopter transported the dummy crew module to an altitude of about 3 kilometers – 40 kilometers away from the coast – from Sriharikota, the country’s sole spaceport.

Three primary parachutes were released to decelerate the crew module prior to its splashdown.

“It was an incredibly successful test. All the parachutes functioned as intended, and the speed was brought down to levels that are safe for humans. The navy retrieved the module and delivered it to us in Chennai”, stated ISRO chairperson Dr. V Narayanan.

This same crew module will also be utilized for additional tests.

Narayanan, who was in Delhi for the Space Day festivities on Saturday, arrived in Sriharikota early Sunday morning for the test and then headed to Chennai to pick up the crew module. He got back to Bangalore on Sunday evening.

The space agency is gearing up to kick off the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan programme by the end of this year, while the first crewed flight is set for late 2027.

The government has given the green light for eight flights under the Gaganyaan mission, which includes two crewed and six uncrewed missions.

One of those six uncrewed missions will also transport the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

The crew module for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission flights will feature a system with 10 parachutes.

First up, two Apex Cover Separation Parachutes will deploy to safeguard and clear the parachute compartment before the rest are released.

Next, two drogue parachutes will open to stabilize the crew module and reduce its speed.

Following that, three pilot chutes will be used to pull out the three main parachutes necessary for the final splashdown.

Out of the three main parachutes, just two are enough to guarantee a safe landing for the astronauts.

The test conducted on Sunday aimed not only to verify the deployment of the drogue, pilot, and main parachutes but also to ensure smooth coordination among four key organizations – ISRO, which is leading the Gaganyaan mission. DRDO, responsible for designing the parachute system, the Indian Air Force, which supplied the Chinook helicopter for the drop test and the Indian Navy, tasked with module recovery.

The Indian Navy will also handle recovery operations for the final Gaganyaan flights.

Back in 2022, ISRO did an air drop test just for the main parachutes. But they couldn’t do the planned air drop test for the drogue, pilot, and main chutes last year because the helicopter had some issues.

Those issues have been sorted out, and they successfully completed a test on Sunday.