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Gaganyaan Progress: ISRO Tests Crucial Drogue Parachutes
21 Dec
Summary
- ISRO successfully tested drogue parachutes for Gaganyaan's crew module.
- Tests occurred at DRDO's Ramgarh facility on December 18-19.
- These parachutes stabilize and decelerate the module during re-entry.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed critical qualification tests for the drogue parachutes essential for its Gaganyaan manned space flight program. These parachutes are a key part of the crew module's deceleration system, vital for safely slowing down the spacecraft upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere. The tests were conducted on December 18-19 at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory's facility in Ramgarh, near Chandigarh.
The Gaganyaan mission, India's inaugural human spaceflight endeavor, aims to send a three-member crew into space for a three-day mission and ensure their safe return. The crew module's deceleration system relies on a sequence of ten parachutes of four different types. Following the deployment of cover separation and drogue parachutes, main parachutes further reduce speed for a safe landing.
These successful drogue parachute tests are a significant step in qualifying the entire parachute system for human spaceflight. The rigorous testing at the DRDO facility under varying flight conditions validated the robustness and reliability of these components, bringing ISRO closer to its historic manned space mission.
