Gaganyaan: ISRO clears Crew Module-Service Module separation test
Why in the news
ISRO has validated the system that separates the Gaganyaan Crew Module (CM) from the Service Module (SM) through ground tests at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, reported on 17 October 2026.
Key facts
- Test set-up: a rig simulating the joined CM-SM assembly; the tests reproduced separation, including cutting several umbilical links between the modules.
- Validated: the design of the separation system and the shock tolerance of Crew Module subsystems.
- Systems checked: avionics, Inertial Navigation Systems, the Thermal Protection System (aft and conical heat shields), the deployable umbilical shield, and pyro devices for the uprighting and thermal-humidity control systems.
- Earlier in 2026: the G1 crew module was dropped from an aircraft in April to prove its parachute descent.
About Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan is India’s human spaceflight programme. The first uncrewed flight, G1, will carry Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot, instead of astronauts. G1 was originally planned for December 2020. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said in June 2026 that it was expected in the last quarter of 2026, and in September repeated that it would fly within the year. The first crewed mission is targeted for 2027.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test site | VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram |
| First uncrewed flight | G1, with Vyommitra |
| Crewed flight target | 2027 |
Exam angle
- Clean CM-SM separation is essential for the crew module’s safe re-entry and recovery.
- Vyommitra is a half-humanoid robot, not a full humanoid.
- Earlier 2026 tests qualified the uprighting system, umbilical connect-disconnect mechanisms and apex cover loads.