Source: NIE
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: India achieved a key milestone in its human spaceflight programme as DRDO successfully conducted a qualification-level load test of the Drogue Parachute for the Gaganyaan mission.
About Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute:
What is it?
- The Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute is a crucial component of the deceleration system of India’s Gaganyaan Crew Module.
- It is deployed during re-entry to stabilize and reduce the velocity of the module before the main parachutes open.
Developed by:
- Developed collaboratively by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Tested at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh using the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility.
Aim:
- To stabilize the Crew Module during atmospheric re-entry.
- To reduce descent velocity to safe levels before deployment of main parachutes.
- To ensure safe splashdown/landing of astronauts in the Gaganyaan mission.
How it Works?
The Gaganyaan deceleration system consists of 10 parachutes (4 types):
- Apex Cover Separation Parachutes (2) – Remove protective cover.
- Drogue Parachutes (2) – Stabilize and reduce velocity at high altitude.
- Pilot Parachutes (3) – Extract main parachutes.
- Main Parachutes (3) – Provide final deceleration for safe landing.
The drogue parachutes act as the critical transition stage, ensuring controlled descent before main canopy deployment.
Key Features:
- High-strength ribbon parachute design: Ribbon-type fabric structure allows controlled airflow, reducing shock loads while providing high tensile strength needed to safely slow the Crew Module during high-speed descent.
- Tested under qualification loads higher than maximum flight loads: The parachute was tested beyond expected real flight stresses to ensure reliability and performance even in worst-case scenarios, improving mission safety margins.
- Designed for extreme aerodynamic and ballistic conditions: It can function effectively under rapid speed changes, turbulence, and varying atmospheric pressures encountered during re-entry from space.
- Provides additional design safety margin: Engineering margins ensure that even if actual flight conditions deviate from predictions, the parachute system still performs safely without structural failure.
- Validated using high-speed dynamic testing at RTRS facility: Testing at DRDO’s Rail Track Rocket Sled simulates real flight dynamics, confirming parachute stability and deployment behaviour under near-mission conditions.
