ISRO Gaganyaan crew module during recovery test operations
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the second unmanned test of the Gaganyaan crew module's recovery system off the coast of Sriharikota on Thursday, clearing a major hurdle in India's first human spaceflight programme.
The Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) demonstrated the module's ability to withstand re-entry temperatures exceeding 1600 degrees Celsius and deploy parachutes at the correct altitude for a safe splashdown in the Bay of Bengal.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath confirmed that the test was "fully successful" and that the recovery team from the Indian Navy retrieved the capsule within minutes of splashdown at a pre-designated location.
"This successful test brings us one step closer to sending Indian astronauts to space. Our Vyomanauts are ready and waiting," Dr. Somanath said at a press conference in Bengaluru.
India has selected four IAF fighter pilots as Vyomanauts — the Indian equivalent of astronauts. They have undergone training in Russia and are currently completing mission-specific training at the Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru.
The crewed Gaganyaan mission is now scheduled for 2026, with the vehicle expected to carry three Vyomanauts to a 400 km orbit for three days before returning to Earth.
