ISRO successfully completes key parachute deceleration tests for Gaganyaan mission | Video
ISRO completed the parachute deployment qualification tests for the Gaganyaan Crew Module at the RTRS facility of TBRL, Chandigarh.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully completed a series of key qualification tests for drogue parachutes. These were carried out to develop a deceleration system for the Gaganyaan Crew Module.
“ISRO successfully completed the Drogue Parachute Deployment Qualification Tests for the Gaganyaan Crew Module at the RTRS facility of TBRL, Chandigarh, during 18–19 December 2025,” Union minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, said.
Singh said the tests had confirmed the “performance and reliability” of drogue parachutes under varying flight conditions, adding that this was an “important step” in qualifying the parachute system for India's human spaceflight mission. “Heartening to note that India has moved one more step closer to its first Human Space mission #Gaganyaan,” Singh said.
According to ISRO, the deceleration system of the crew module of the Gaganyaan mission had a total of 10 parachutes of 4 types. The space agency explained the descent sequence of the module, saying that it “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.”
Once these drogues are released, three pilot parachutes are deployed to extract three main parachutes, which will further slow down the crew module to ensure a safe touchdown, ISRO said.
It said that the drogue parachutes are “a crucial component” in that they assist in stabilising the crew module by reducing its velocity to a safe level during re-entry.
Regarding the objective of this particular series of tests, ISRO said they were conducted to evaluate the performance and reliability of drogue parachutes in extreme 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,” ISRO said.
