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New Delhi: ISRO has successfully completed the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) to demonstrate the parachute deceleration system for the Gaganyaan missions. The crew capsule was dropped from a helicopter for the test, which was a joint effort by ISRO, DRDO, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. The crew module for the IADT was handed over to ISRO by KCP – Heavy Engineering Unit in October 2023. ISRO has placed an order for the fabrication of two module structures for the IADT. The Gaganyaan crew module uses a series of 10 parachutes to shed the velocity of the spaceship on returning to Earth, for a gentle ocean splashdown.

The Simulated Crew Module carried by the Helicopter before being dropped. (Image Credit: ISRO).

There was a long prep-time for the IADT, which had to be fitted with the parachute system assembly and the bouyancy augmentation system after the crew module structure was delivered. Electrical tests were conducted in tandem with the helicopter at the helipad at ISRO’s spaceport in Sriharikota. ISRO also had to integrate the electronics, with the simulated crew module hardware moving to Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The structure itself was fabricated in Chennai. The parachute systems functioned nominally during the test.

The IADT test is a milestone in India’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme, to develop the space transportation hardware necessary to lift humans to Earth orbit. The hardware will be demonstrated through a series of eight flights, three crewed, and five uncrewed missions, forming the Gaganyaan programme in its current form. The capability for reliably and safely lifting humans to Earth orbit and returning them will allow India to operate the Bharatiya Antariksh Station that it plans to operate by 2035 with the first module aimed for deployment in 2028, which is also a part of the Gaganyaan programme. ISRO also plans to offer commercial flights to space tourists.