ISRO successfully conducts second integrated Air Drop Test for Gaganyaan Mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone in its Gaganyaan mission, successfully conducting the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on April 10, 2026. A simulated Crew Module, weighing 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about 3 km and released over the Bay of Bengal near the Sriharikota coast.
The test validated the parachute-based deceleration system, with 10 parachutes deployed in a precise sequence to slow down the module for a safe splashdown. The Crew Module was later recovered from the sea in a joint operation involving the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Indian Coast Guard.
“This marks another key milestone for ISRO in the Gaganyaan Mission,” said the Indian Air Force in a post on X. Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO on the successful test, stating it brings India closer to its first human spaceflight mission.
The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capabilities, develop key technologies, and lay the foundation for sustained human space exploration.
