Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulates ISRO on the successful completion of the IADT-02 test for Gaganyaan.

In April 2026, Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization for successfully conducting the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, marking a significant step towards India’s first human spaceflight, scheduled for the following year.

In a post on X, Singh said, “Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of the Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India’s first human space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station, Sriharikota. This marks an important milestone towards the readiness for the Gaganyaan mission.”
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of IADT-01, conducted on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. IADT-01 was conducted earlier to demonstrate the end-to-end performance of the parachute-based deceleration system designed for the Gaganyaan mission’s crew module

According to ISRO, the Gaganyaan mission is India’s first human spaceflight program. It aims to demonstrate indigenous capability by sending a three-member crew into a 400-km orbit for a three-day mission, returning them safely to Earth. The mission, currently planned for 2027, will utilize the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle.

The parachute-based deceleration system plays a crucial role during the final phase of descent, ensuring the Crew Module lands safely in the sea by reducing its velocity to acceptable limits. The system comprises multiple parachutes, including Apex Cover Separation parachutes, Drogue parachutes, Pilot parachutes, and Main parachutes, all deployed in a precise sequence.

During IADT-01, a simulated crew module weighing approximately 4.8 tonnes was dropped from an altitude of around 3 kilometers using the Indian Air Force’s Chinook helicopter. The test successfully validated the deployment sequence and performance of the parachutes, ultimately reducing the module’s touchdown velocity to about 8 meters per second.