In a significant achievement for the Gaganyaan mission, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully completed the qualification tests of the drogue parachutes used in the deceleration system of the Crew Module. This test is being considered a big and decisive step towards India’s first human space mission. ISRO is preparing to launch the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan in the year 2026.
The tests were conducted on 18 and 19 December 2025 at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh. The objective of these trials was to test the reliability, robustness and performance of the parachute system of the Gaganyaan Crew Module in extremely challenging conditions.
Heartening to note that India has moved one more step closer to its first Human Space mission #Gaganyaan,
ISRO successfully completed the Drogue Parachute Deployment Qualification Tests for the Gaganyaan Crew Module at the RTRS facility of TBRL, Chandigarh, during 18–19 December… pic.twitter.com/ci47TQDaoA
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) December 20, 2025
The deceleration system of Gaganyaan’s crew module consists of a total of 10 parachutes, which belong to four different categories. These parachutes play an important role in gradually reducing the speed of the spacecraft and maintaining its stability during high-speed entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
ISRO successfully completed Drogue Parachute Deployment Qualification Tests for the Gaganyaan Crew Module at the RTRS facility of TBRL, Chandigarh, during 18–19 December 2025.
The tests confirmed the performance and reliability of the drogue parachutes under varying flight…— ISRO (@isro) December 20, 2025
The sequence of the parachute system is as follows—first the two apex cover separation parachutes are activated, which separate the protective cover of the parachute compartment. Two drogue parachutes are then deployed, which stabilize the rapidly rotating crew module and reduce its speed to safe levels. After the drogue parachutes separate the three pilot parachutes open sequentially, eventually releasing the three larger main parachutes. These main parachutes further reduce the speed of the crew module, to ensure safe splashdown or touchdown of future astronauts.
Drogue parachutes are considered the most important because they are deployed during the re-entry phase of the atmosphere where aerodynamic loads and flight conditions change rapidly. The purpose of these tests, conducted in December, was to verify the performance of drogue parachutes in these same challenging and off-nominal conditions. Both tests conducted on RTRS met all set objectives and proved that the system performed as expected despite significant changes.
ISRO has described these successful tests as another important step towards ensuring the qualification of the Gaganyaan parachute system for human space flight. The test campaign saw active participation from ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) as well as DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) and TBRL, reflecting the multi-agency collaboration behind India’s human space programme.
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