India’s human spaceflight programme has reached another milestone as ISRO successfully carried out the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the Gaganyaan mission.
The test took place on April 10, 2026, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, focusing on validating the crew module’s descent and recovery systems—key elements for astronaut safety.
A simulated crew module weighing around 5.7 tonnes was lifted to an altitude of nearly 3 km using an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter before being released over a designated sea area.
During descent, a sequence of 10 parachutes across 4 stages deployed in a planned order to slow the module and ensure a controlled splashdown.
The capsule was later recovered with support from the Indian Navy, confirming the effectiveness of the recovery operations.
This test is a crucial step in validating the parachute-based deceleration system that will be used to safely bring astronauts back to Earth.
Air drop tests replicate the final phase of a mission, helping engineers evaluate parachute performance, stability during descent, and splashdown conditions.
The success of IADT-02 builds on earlier trials and strengthens ISRO’s preparation for upcoming uncrewed missions ahead of India’s first human spaceflight.
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