ISRO Tests Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute Successfully

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed a series of drogue parachute qualification tests for the Gaganyaan crew module in Chandigarh.

• India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has achieved another major milestone. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed a series of drogue parachute qualification tests for the Gaganyaan crew module.
• These tests are very important to ensure the safe return of astronauts to Earth after spaceflight. These tests were conducted on 18 and 19 December, 2025 at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility in Chandigarh.
• The main objective of this test series was to thoroughly evaluate the drogue parachute under difficult conditions similar to real mission scenarios.
• The RTRS facility operates under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). ISRO confirmed through an official statement that the tests successfully demonstrated the performance and reliability of the drogue parachute under different and challenging flight conditions.

About the drogue parachute

• When a crew module re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at very high speed, it needs to be stabilized and gradually slowed down.
• The deceleration system of the Gaganyaan crew module includes 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 the module and reduce its speed.
• Upon release of the drogues, three pilot parachutes are deployed to extract three main parachutes, which further slow down the crew module to ensure a safe landing.
• The objective of this specific test series was to rigorously evaluate the performance and reliability of the drogue parachute under extreme conditions.
• The successful completion of these tests is another important step towards qualifying the parachute system for human spaceflight, with active support and participation from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), DRDO, and Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), DRDO.

About the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS)

• The Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh is a major national test centre, which was inaugurated around 2014.
• It has a 4 km long penta-rail track for testing supersonic missiles, aircraft, and defence systems. It provides facilities for critical, high-speed, ground-based simulation tests.
• On 2 December, 2025, a significant test was conducted at a speed of 800 km/h, validating emergency ejection systems for fighter aircraft (canopy severance, ejection sequencing, and aircrew recovery).
• This facility serves as a joint platform for DRDO, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to test, research, and evaluate advanced defence systems.

Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT)

• Earlier, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted a significant test of the main parachute of the Gaganyaan crew module.
• This test was carried out at the Babina Field Firing Range (BFFR) in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, as part of the series of Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Tests (IMAT) being conducted to qualify the parachute system for the Gaganyaan mission.

Gaganyaan Mission

• Its official announcement was made in 2018. India’s first human spaceflight programme aims to send a crew of 3 astronauts to low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 400 km for 3 days and bring them back safely to Earth.
• It includes uncrewed test missions, after which the first crewed mission is expected to take place in early 2027.
• The success of Gaganyaan will place India among a select group of countries (USA, Russia, China) that have human spaceflight capability.

Key technologies for crew safety:

• Human-Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3): This is a modified version of ISRO’s LVM3 rocket. It includes solid, liquid, and cryogenic stages, which have been reconfigured to meet human-rating requirements.
• This rocket is capable of launching the orbital module into low Earth orbit (400 km) and includes a Crew Escape System (CES) with high burn rate solid motors to ensure crew safety in case of an emergency during launch or ascent.

About ISRO

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is India’s space agency. ISRO is a major component of the Department of Space (DoS), Government of India.
• Earlier, ISRO was known as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which was established by the Government of India in 1962 on the vision of Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai.
• ISRO was formed on 15 August, 1969 and replaced INCOSPAR with an expanded role to use space technology. The Department of Space was established and ISRO was brought under the DoS in 1972.
• ISRO headquarters is located in Bengaluru.

Various centres and units of ISRO

Its activities are spread across various centres and units-

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, where launch vehicles are developed;
• U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, where satellites are designed and developed;
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, where satellites and launch vehicles are integrated and launched;
• Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala and Bengaluru, where liquid stages including cryogenic stages are developed;
• Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, where work is carried out on sensors of communication and remote sensing satellites and aspects related to applications of space technology;
• National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, where remote sensing data is acquired, processed, and disseminated.