ISRO tests parachute system to be used in Gaganyaan mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted the Rail Track Rocket Sled deployment tests of the Gaganyaan Pilot and Apex Cover Separation (ACS) parachutes in cluster configurations. The trials were carried out on March 1 and 3 at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), in Chandigarh. Last month, the space agency conducted Water Survival Test of Crew Module in collaboration with the Indian Navy.
Why does this story matter?
What's most significant about the Gaganyaan mission is that it is India's first crewed mission to space. It is expected to take off in 2024. The mission will send a three-membered crew to an orbit of 400 kilometers for a period of three days. The crew will be brought back to Earth by landing a module in Indian sea waters.
The first test simulated clustered deployment of two pilot parachutes
The first test simulated the clustered deployment of two pilot parachutes, said ISRO in a statement. While one parachute was subjected to a minimum angle with respect to flow conditions, the second one was subjected to a maximum angle. "The ACS parachutes are used in the Gaganyaan mission for the separation of the apex cover mounted on the Crew Module," said ISRO.
Second test was carried out under maximum dynamic pressure conditions
The second test simulated the clustered deployment of two ACS parachutes under maximum dynamic pressure conditions. The test also simulated "clustered deployment at a 90-degree angle of attack conditions for the crew module." The ACS parachutes, used for the separation of the apex cover, were mounted on the Crew Module. The pilot and ACS parachutes were deployed using a pyrotechnic mortar device.
Gaganyaan's parachute system has been developed by VSSC and ARDRE
The parachute system for the Gaganyaan mission has been jointly developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Trivandrum and the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra.
ISRO and the Indian Navy recently performed a crucial trial
Earlier this month, ISRO, along with Indian Navy carried out another crucial trial for the Gaganyaan mission. Recovery trials of the Crew Module, which will house the astronauts, were conducted at the Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) of the Indian Navy, at Kochi. The trials were part of the preparation for crew module recovery operations that will be performed in Indian waters.
