Gaganyaan’s giant leap: Second airdrop test at Sriharikota successful

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second integrated airdrop test for Gaganyaan—India’s ambitious mission to send humans into space—has been successfully completed. Following this milestone, ISRO will conduct the next phase of testing in space, with the official crewed launch scheduled for next year.

The test, designed to ensure the crew module can safely return passengers to Earth, took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. An IAF Chinook helicopter hoisted the 5.7-ton crew module to an altitude of three kilometers before releasing it.

The module successfully splashed down in the Bay of Bengal, where it was retrieved by an Indian Navy ship. The descent was managed by a complex system of ten parachutes categorised into four types, which expertly reduced the craft's speed for a safe landing. Dr. S. Rajarajan, Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), confirmed that all mission criteria were successfully met.

This successful flight marks a significant step up from the first airdrop test conducted on August 24 last year. While the previous test utilised a 4.8-ton simulated model, this latest test used the actual crew module intended for the mission.

Next milestone: Testing in space

Before the final Gaganyaan launch, ISRO will perform one more critical landing test—this time from space. A rocket will propel the crew module into orbit to test its ability to:

• Re-enter the Earth's atmosphere safely.
• Maintain thermal and structural integrity.
• Regulate speed for a precise sea splashdown.

ISRO has announced that this space-based validation test is slated to take place later this year.