The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests for the Gaganyaan project at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility in Chandigarh from August 8 to 10. The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India’s capability for human spaceflight. The mission will involve sending a crew of three members into a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission and safely bringing them back to Earth by landing in the Indian sea waters. The mission is expected to take place by the end of 2023 or in 2024.

Drogue parachutes are crucial for the safe transportation of astronauts from space. They are packed within pyro-based devices called mortars and are designed to eject the parachutes into the air upon command. These parachutes have a diameter of 5.8 meters and employ a single-stage reefing mechanism to ensure a controlled descent.

During the tests at the RTRS facility, various real-world scenarios were simulated to evaluate the performance and reliability of the drogue parachutes. The tests included simulating the maximum reefed load, the maximum disreefed load, and the deployment of the drogue parachute at the maximum angle of attack experienced by the Crew Module during its mission.

The successful tests signify an important step towards the integration of drogue parachutes into the upcoming Test Vehicle-D1 mission. The Gaganyaan crew module’s deceleration system utilizes 10 parachutes, including drogue parachutes, to ensure a safe landing for the crew module.

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