The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for its ambitious Gaganyaan mission at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
This critical test is designed to validate the safe recovery of the crew module—the capsule that will carry astronauts during India’s first human spaceflight. During the exercise, the module was released mid-air, and a sophisticated parachute system comprising 10 parachutes deployed in sequence slowed the capsule to ensure a safe splashdown.
The IADT-02 builds upon the success of the first test conducted on August 24, 2025, at the same facility. In that earlier trial, a 4.8-tonne dummy crew module was dropped from an altitude of three kilometres using a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Air drop tests simulate the final phase of a spacecraft’s return to Earth. They are crucial for evaluating multiple emergency and operational scenarios, such as parachute deployment during an aborted mission, performance in case of parachute failure, and the stability and orientation of the module during splashdown.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO on this milestone, highlighting it as a major step forward in India’s human spaceflight journey. The Gaganyaan mission is expected to launch from Sriharikota in 2027, marking India’s entry into human space exploration.
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