Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Apr 10 (BNP): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, marking another important milestone in India’s crewed space programme.
The test was conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and focused on validating the crew module recovery system, a critical safety mechanism that ensures the safe return of astronauts during re-entry and landing.
The crew module is the capsule that will carry astronauts during the mission, and the air drop tests are designed to simulate real landing conditions. These trials help engineers assess parachute deployment, stability of the capsule, and overall performance under different emergency scenarios.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO on the achievement, noting it as a key step forward for India’s first human spaceflight mission, which is targeted for next year.
The second test follows the successful completion of the first Integrated Air Drop Test conducted in August 2025 at the same facility.
Air drop tests are an essential part of mission validation, where a dummy crew module is dropped from an aircraft or helicopter to replicate the final phase of spacecraft descent. These experiments test critical systems such as parachute deployment, controlled descent, and safe splashdown under varied conditions.
With the success of IADT-02, ISRO has further strengthened the reliability of its crew safety systems, bringing the country closer to launching astronauts into space under the Gaganyaan programme.
