Bengaluru, Dec 20 (UNI) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has taken another important step towards India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, by successfully testing a key safety system used during the return of astronauts to Earth.
ISRO carried out a series of tests on special parachutes, known as drogue parachutes, at a high-speed testing facility in Chandigarh on Thursday and Friday, December 18 and 19, 2025. These parachutes are designed to slow down and stabilise the Gaganyaan Crew Module as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
When the Crew Module returns from space, it travels at extremely high speed. To ensure a safe landing, a carefully planned sequence of parachutes is used. First, small parachutes remove the protective cover of the parachute compartment. This is followed by the deployment of two drogue parachutes, which steady the capsule and reduce its speed.
After this, larger parachutes are released to further slow the module, allowing it to land safely.
ISRO said the recent tests were conducted to check how well the drogue parachutes perform under tough and changing conditions similar to actual flight scenarios. Both tests were completed successfully, meeting all objectives and confirming that the parachutes can withstand extreme forces.
The tests were conducted with the support of several scientific institutions, including ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. According to ISRO, the successful outcome brings the Gaganyaan mission a step closer to reality.
Gaganyaan aims to send Indian astronauts into space and bring them back safely. Each successful test, ISRO said, strengthens confidence in the systems designed to protect astronauts during the most critical phase of the mission — their return to Earth.
