IADT-02: ISRO’s Gaganyaan Parachute Air Drop Test at SHAR
Why in the news
IADT-02, the second in ISRO’s series of integrated air drop tests, went off successfully at SDSC-SHAR. It checks the equipment that must return Indian astronauts safely to Earth under Gaganyaan.
Key facts
- Aim: check the parachute-based deceleration system under realistic conditions, simulating re-entry.
- Dummy payload: a Crew Module of 5.7 tonnes, equal in mass to the one planned for uncrewed mission G1.
- Lift: an IAF Chinook helicopter carried it to 3 km and let it go above a Bay of Bengal drop zone.
- Descent: 10 parachutes of four types opened in sequence to cut speed gradually.
- Recovery: the Indian Navy retrieved the module from the sea after splashdown.
About Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan is the country’s maiden crewed spaceflight effort, meant to prove it can place humans in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and bring them home safely.
Exam angle
- Test name: IADT-02; location: SDSC-SHAR.
- Aircraft: IAF Chinook; recovery partner: Indian Navy.
- Numbers: 5.7 tonnes, 3 km, 10 parachutes, four types.