NEW DELHI, Apr 10: The Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully conducted the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, marking a key step towards ensuring safe crew recovery.
The test is crucial for validating systems designed to safely recover the crew module—the capsule carrying astronauts—during re-entry and landing.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO, noting that the successful test advances preparations for India’s first human spaceflight, scheduled next year.
The IADT-02 follows the first such test conducted on August 24, 2025, at the same facility. Air drop tests simulate the final phase of a spacecraft’s return to Earth by dropping a module from an aircraft or helicopter to assess critical systems under various scenarios.
These include parachute deployment during mid-flight aborts, system performance in case of parachute failure, and the module’s stability and safety during splashdown.
During the first IADT, a 4.8-tonne dummy crew module was dropped from a height of three kilometres using a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Following release, a system of 10 parachutes deployed to slow the capsule to a safe splashdown speed.
The latest test further strengthens ISRO’s preparedness for the Gaganyaan mission.
