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ISRO tests main parachute for Gaganyaan mission
ISRO successfully conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Air Drop Test (IMAT) for the Gaganyaan programme on July 7, 2026, at the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment drop zone in Sheopur, Madhya…
ISRO successfully conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Air Drop Test (IMAT) for the Gaganyaan programme on July 7, 2026, at the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment drop zone in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh.
The test used an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft to drop a dummy mass from an altitude of 2.5 km. A complex sequence deployed an extractor parachute, a drogue parachute, and finally the main parachute, which slowed the payload to a safe terminal speed. The objective was to qualify the main parachute's structural integrity under maximum expected load conditions for the first uncrewed Gaganyaan G1 mission.
This is the fifth in a series of IMAT tests. The deceleration system for the Gaganyaan crew module includes 10 parachutes of four types. The test was a joint effort of ISRO, DRDO, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Gaganyaan programme aims to send Indian astronauts to space, a goal first announced by the Prime Minister in 2018. The crew module's parachute system must perform flawlessly to ensure a safe splashdown in the sea. Each of the four parachute types has a specific role in decelerating the module from orbital velocity to a safe landing speed. With IMAT-05 complete, the main parachute design is now qualified for the uncrewed G1 mission. ISRO is expected to schedule the G1 launch after completing remaining system-level tests and the crew escape system trials.
Source: isro.gov.in
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