ISRO Conducts Successful Parachute Tests for Gaganyaan Human Space Mission  

New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) makes another step forward for the Gaganyaan project, which is India’s much-awaited first human space mission. ISRO has successfully conducted the Rail Track Rocket Sled deployment tests of the Gaganyaan Pilot and Apex Cover Separation (ACS) parachutes in cluster configurations.

These tests were conducted at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, on March 1 and 3, 2023. These tests will help in the success of Gaganyaan, India’s first human space mission.

One parachute was subjected to a minimum angle with respect to flow conditions and the second parachute was subjected to a maximum angle with respect to flow. The second test simulated the clustered deployment of two ACS parachutes under maximum dynamic pressure conditions.

These pilot parachutes are to be used in the Gaganyaan mission to extract and deploy the main parachutes independently.

The Gaganyaan parachute system development has been a joint effort by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram and Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra.