A set of specially designed parachutes was sent from Agra for India’s first uncrewed mission under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. These parachutes were developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based in Agra.

These parachutes will help bring the crew capsule back safely to Earth. ADRDE said, “Indigenously developed parachutes for the safe return of the capsule that will carry astronauts under the proposed Gaganyaan Programme are set to undergo [testing in an] unmanned mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).”

According to the statement, the system includes 10 parachutes that will open one after another in a fixed order. The

 programme aims to send two or three astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

ADRDE explained the recovery process. First, two Apex Cover Separation parachutes will open to uncover the main parachute area. Then, two drogue parachutes will come out to steady the module and slow it down. After that, three pilot parachutes will open one by one to pull out three main parachutes. These main parachutes will slow down the capsule enough for a safe landing.

Dr Manoj Kumar, the Director of ADRDE, officially flagged off the parachutes. They have been sent to the ISRO Satellite Integration and Testing Establishment (ISITE) in Bengaluru. There, the ADRDE team will put together the parachutes with the crew capsule for the uncrewed mission called G-1, planned later this year.

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