Space Wrap: From Sriharikota to Leh, preparations for Gaganyaan mission in full swing

India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme crossed a major milestone with the successful second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) on 10 April 2026 at Sat...

What Happened

India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme crossed a major milestone with the successful second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) on 10 April 2026 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, validating the crew module's parachute deceleration system.
Assembly of the Human-Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3) — the rocket that will carry Gaganyaan into orbit — has commenced at Sriharikota, with the G1 uncrewed mission now targeting launch in the second half of 2026.
One of India's Gaganyaan astronaut-designates, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is preparing for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with Axiom Space, a landmark step that will give India's future crew hands-on orbital experience before the crewed Gaganyaan flight.

Static Topic Bridges

Gaganyaan Programme: India's Human Spaceflight Mission

Gaganyaan is India's first indigenous human spaceflight programme, managed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It aims to make India the fourth nation in the world — after the USSR/Russia, the United States, and China — to independently launch humans into space. The programme was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018 with an initial outlay of ₹10,000 crore. The mission objective is to carry a three-member crew to low Earth orbit at approximately 400 km altitude for up to seven days and return them safely to Earth via splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

The crewed mission (designated H1) is currently scheduled for 2027.
Prior to H1, three uncrewed missions are planned: G1 (2026, carrying Vyommitra the half-humanoid robot), G2, and G3.
The spacecraft uses the Human-Rated LVM3 (HLVM3), a modified version of ISRO's proven LVM3 rocket with enhanced reliability standards.
Four Indian Air Force test pilots were selected as astronaut-designates and underwent initial training in Russia with Glavkosmos; they are now receiving mission-specific training at ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru.

Connection to this news: The IADT-02 and HLVM3 assembly are directly on the critical path to launching G1, the first uncrewed Gaganyaan flight, in 2026.

Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT): Why It Matters

The Crew Module Deceleration System is critical for crew safety during re-entry. When the Gaganyaan capsule re-enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds (approximately 8 km/s), it relies on a sequenced deployment of 10 parachutes — drogue, pilot, and main parachutes — to decelerate from supersonic speeds to a safe splashdown velocity of less than 10 m/s. The IADT replicates the final phase of this deceleration by releasing a boilerplate capsule from a helicopter at altitude, allowing engineers to evaluate parachute deployment timing, descent rate, and splashdown dynamics without a full orbital mission.

IADT-02 was conducted on 10 April 2026 using a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter of the Indian Air Force.
The boilerplate module was released at approximately 3 km altitude over the Bay of Bengal near Sriharikota.
A 10-parachute sequence was deployed, simulating operational re-entry deceleration.
IADT-01 (first air drop test) preceded this and established baseline data.

Connection to this news: Successful IADT-02 clears a key safety certification gate for the G1 mission, demonstrating that the crew module can return safely from orbit.

Axiom Space Mission and India-ISS Collaboration

Axiom Space is a US private space company contracted by NASA to conduct commercial astronaut missions to the International Space Station using SpaceX Crew Dragon. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's participation in an Axiom mission represents India's first crewed spaceflight since Rakesh Sharma flew to the Soviet Mir space station in 1984 on a Soyuz mission. The mission is conducted under the framework of India-US space cooperation, which was elevated during the signing of the Artemis Accords by India in June 2023. It will give Shukla hands-on experience in orbital rendezvous, docking, microgravity operations, and life-support systems — all directly applicable to Gaganyaan.

India signed the Artemis Accords in June 2023, aligning with NASA's principles for peaceful, transparent, and sustainable space exploration.
Shukla will train at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston under former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson of Axiom Space.
The ISS orbits at approximately 400 km — the same target altitude as the Gaganyaan mission.
India's first human in space was Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 2 April 1984.

Connection to this news: Shukla's ISS mission directly feeds into Gaganyaan preparation, providing crew experience that ISRO cannot replicate in ground-based simulators.

Human-Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3)

The HLVM3 is ISRO's most powerful operational rocket, derived from the LVM3 (formerly GSLV Mk III) that launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023. For human spaceflight, it has been upgraded with a Crew Escape System (CES) that can pull the crew module away from the rocket in the event of a launch emergency at speeds of up to Mach 1.2. The rocket has a payload capacity of approximately 10 tonnes to low Earth orbit. Its reliability has been established through multiple LVM3 missions, including OneWeb satellite launches.

HLVM3 assembly commenced at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 18 December 2024.
The Crew Module Propulsion System (CMPS), a bi-propellant Reaction Control System for three-axis control, was integrated on 21 January 2025.
The vehicle can carry the Orbital Module (Crew Module + Service Module) totalling approximately 8,200 kg.
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) is India's primary spaceport, located on Sriharikota island in Andhra Pradesh.

Connection to this news: The current HLVM3 assembly campaign at Sriharikota is the hardware milestone that will determine whether G1 launches in 2026 as planned.

Key Facts & Data

Gaganyaan programme sanctioned in 2018 with an initial outlay of ₹10,000 crore.
India aims to be the 4th country to independently launch humans into space.
G1 (first uncrewed mission) targets launch in H2 2026, carrying Vyommitra humanoid robot to a 170 × 408 km orbit.
Crewed mission H1 is scheduled for 2027, carrying 3 astronauts for up to 7 days.
IADT-02 conducted on 10 April 2026 at Sriharikota using IAF Chinook helicopter, releasing boilerplate from ~3 km altitude.
A 10-parachute deceleration sequence is used for crew module safe splashdown.
Four IAF test pilots selected as Gaganyaan astronaut-designates; trained initially with Glavkosmos in Russia.
Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to ISS with Axiom Space — India's first crewed spaceflight since Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
India signed the NASA Artemis Accords in June 2023.
HLVM3 assembly commenced at SDSC-SHAR on 18 December 2024.