India's Gaganyaan Mission Takes Major Step Forward with Successful Parachute Test

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has successfully tested parachutes for its Gaganyaan crew capsule using a rocket sled. The tests were conducted at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh.

The drogue parachutes are mortar-deployed conical ribbon-type parachutes with a diameter of 19 feet (5.8 meters). They are a crucial part of the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send three Indian astronauts to low Earth orbit. The drogue parachutes will help to stabilize the crew capsule during reentry and slow it down before landing.

The tests were conducted on a rocket sled that was traveling at high speed. The drogue parachutes were deployed successfully and helped to slow down the sled. This is a major milestone for the Gaganyaan mission and brings India one step closer to sending astronauts to space.

The next step in the Gaganyaan program is to conduct a high-altitude abort test. This test will simulate the conditions that the crew capsule would experience if it had to abort the mission during launch. The test is scheduled to take place in late September or early October.

If the high-altitude abort test is successful, ISRO will then conduct a pair of uncrewed flights of the Gaganyaan crew capsule. These flights will test the capsule's systems in low Earth orbit and ensure that it is safe for humans to fly. The uncrewed flights are scheduled to take place in late 2023 and the first half of 2024.

The first crewed Gaganyaan flight is scheduled to launch as soon as late 2024. It will carry three Indian astronauts on a short orbital test flight. This will be a historic moment for India, as it will become the fourth country to send humans to space.

The successful test of the drogue parachutes is a major milestone for the Gaganyaan mission. It shows that ISRO is making good progress on its plans to send astronauts to space. The next few months will be critical for the program, as ISRO conducts the high-altitude abort test and the uncrewed flights. If these tests are successful, India will be on track to launch its first crewed mission to space in late 2024.