Gaganyaan mission: How ISRO's crucial drogue parachutes will bring Indian astronauts home safely

Imagine a rocket trolley racing down a long track at incredible speeds—faster than a Formula One race car—and then suddenly hitting the brakes with enormous force. This is not a scene from a science fiction movie but exactly what happened in Chandigarh on December 18 and 19, when India successfully tested a crucial safety system for its first human space mission.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's space agency, has just cleared another major hurdle in its ambitious Gaganyaan mission, bringing the country one step closer to sending astronauts into space. The tests focused on something called drogue parachutes, which might sound like a simple piece of equipment but are actually lifesavers for astronauts returning from space.

“Think of drogue parachutes as special brakes that slow down the crew capsule when it comes hurtling back through Earth's atmosphere at tremendous speeds. These aren't the regular parachutes you might see skydivers use. They're much tougher, designed to handle extreme heat and force, and they must work perfectly every single time because astronauts' lives depend on them,” explained space analyst Girish Linganna.

The testing facility itself is fascinating. The Rail Track Rocket Sled at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh looks like a very long railway track, but instead of a train, there's a rocket-powered trolley that shoots forward at breakneck speed and then slams to a stop. This creates the same shocking jolt and sudden deceleration that a space capsule experiences when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere. By recreating these extreme conditions on the ground, scientists can check whether their parachutes will work properly without actually sending anyone into space yet.

“The Gaganyaan crew module uses not just one or two, but ten different parachutes of four types, all deploying in a precise sequence. First, two apex cover separation parachutes remove the protective cover from the parachute compartment—think of it as opening the lid before anything else can happen. Then come the two drogue parachutes that were just tested. These stabilize the crew module and reduce its speed from dangerously fast to merely very fast. After the drogues do their job and detach, three pilot parachutes deploy to pull out three massive main parachutes. These main parachutes are the final heroes, slowing the crew module down to just eight meters per second, about the speed of someone running fast, making it safe for the capsule to splash down in the sea,” added Linganna.

But placed in a global context, Gaganyaan’s progress mirrors, yet differs from, other crewed spacecraft. “SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, for instance, is optimised for high flight cadence and reusability. Its parachute system uses two drogues and four main parachutes to slow the capsule to a gentle ocean splashdown. During development, SpaceX executed an unusually dense programme of drop tests and simulations, refining canopy designs, reefing stages and load margins to minimise mass while still meeting strict human-rating standards. This approach reflects a commercial philosophy focused on rapid iteration, refurbishment and cost reduction, supported by a growing body of operational flight data,” pointed out Srimathy Kesan, Founder and CEO of SpaceKidz.

On the other hand, Russia’s Soyuz represents a contrasting design lineage rooted in rugged reliability. “Its descent module relies on a drogue-and-main parachute sequence combined with small solid-propellant retro-rockets that fire just before touchdown, allowing land-based recovery on the Kazakh steppe. Soyuz also retains the option of a ballistic re-entry mode, accepting higher g-loads in exchange for simplicity and robustness if guidance issues arise,” added Kesan.

NASA’s Orion, by contrast, is engineered for missions beyond low Earth orbit, including lunar returns under the Artemis programme. Re-entering from the moon subjects Orion to far higher velocities and heating rates than Gaganyaan, Dragon or Soyuz. Its parachute system, two drogues followed by three large main parachutes, may appear similar in outline, but it is backed by one of the most exhaustive test and analysis campaigns ever conducted, encompassing high-altitude airdrops, off-nominal deployment studies and advanced stability characterisation to handle the extreme conditions of deep-space return.

For the Gaganyaan mission, the road ahead remains packed with crucial milestones. Before any human flies, the ISRO must conduct several more critical tests. The Test Vehicle Demonstration 2 (TV-D2) mission will test the Crew Escape System under different challenging conditions—essentially an emergency ejection system if something goes wrong during launch. While this was earlier planned for late 2025, it may now happen in 2026. The first uncrewed mission called Gaganyaan-1, which was initially scheduled for December 2025, is also expected to be pushed to 2026.

This mission will send a humanoid robot named Vyommitra into space to test all systems in actual orbital conditions. Two more uncrewed missions will further validate every component before actual astronauts take flight.

The recent drogue parachute tests weren't conducted in isolation. Earlier this year, in August, the ISRO performed the Integrated Air Drop Test, where a five-tonne dummy crew capsule was dropped from an Indian Air Force helicopter at a height of three kilometres. As it descended, the entire parachute sequence unfolded perfectly, slowing the capsule for a safe splashdown. In November, the main parachutes underwent their own evaluation at Babina Field Firing Range. These tests aren't just checking boxes on a list—they're building a safety net of redundancy and reliability that will protect human lives.

What's interesting is the collaboration, as there are multiple organizations working together—the ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, the Indian Air Force, the Navy, and the Coast Guard. Each brings specialised expertise, whether it's parachute technology, ballistic testing, or recovery operations at sea. This teamwork ensures that when Gaganyaan finally launches with astronauts in 2027, it represents the combined strength of India's scientific and defence capabilities.