ISRO successfully carries out tests of Gaganyaan crew module systems
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed three critical tests for the Gaganyaan crew module, focusing on uprighting systems, umbilical separation, and apex cover structural integrity. These tests are essential for ensuring astronaut safety during the module's return to Earth.
Why it matters
Successful testing of these systems is a vital milestone for India's human spaceflight program, demonstrating progress toward future crewed missions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday (July 12, 2026) said it had successfully carried out three major tests of the Gaganyaan crew module systems.
The first test pertained to ensuring an upright position for the crew module after splashdown in the sea, considered one of the most important crew safety requirements.
To do this, a stored cold-gas-based uprighting system was developed and tested.
“A system-level qualification test setup consisting of all the elements of CMUS (crew module uprighting system) was realised and successful inflation tests were conducted for the primary inflation module wherein stored gas in the high-pressure gas bottle was made to inflate the flotation by operating the control valves,” the ISRO said.
The second test involved examining the separation of the umbilical mechanism that serves as a link between the crew module, where astronauts live, and the service module, which provides power and propulsion.
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