The ISRO has successfully carried out the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for its ambitious Gaganyaan at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
The test is a critical milestone aimed at ensuring the safe recovery of the crew module — the capsule designed to carry astronauts — during re-entry and landing phases of the mission.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO on the successful accomplishment, highlighting that the Gaganyaan mission is scheduled for its first human spaceflight next year.
The IADT-02 follows the earlier successful test conducted on August 24, 2025, at the same facility. Air drop tests simulate the final stage of a spacecraft’s return to Earth by releasing a module from an aircraft or helicopter to evaluate system performance under different scenarios.
These tests assess crucial parameters such as parachute deployment in case of mission abort, system reliability even if a parachute fails, and the module’s orientation and stability during splashdown.
During the first test, a 4.8-tonne dummy crew module was dropped from a height of approximately three kilometres using a Chinook helicopter. A complex parachute system consisting of 10 parachutes was deployed, ensuring the module slowed down to a safe landing speed.
The successful completion of IADT-02 marks another significant step forward in India’s journey towards achieving human spaceflight capability.
