India takes the first step towards human spaceflight.
According to Japanese media reports, on August 24 local time, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) conducted a parachute test with the crew module for its manned spaceflight program "Gaganyaan," along with astronauts.
The test was conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDDC) in southern India's Shri Harikota. A full-scale model was transported by helicopter to an altitude of 3 kilometers and then dropped. The spacecraft deployed 10 parachutes and landed safely.
"This test proved that the purpose of the Gaganyaan mission is to verify the performance of the crew module parachute deceleration system," ISRO said in a statement.
During the exercise, an emergency escape scenario from the launch pad was also simulated to ensure that the safety system responds correctly in an emergency. ISRO said that additional tests are planned in the coming days to further verify the reliability of the system.
An unmanned mission called "Gaganyaan-1 (G1)" carrying a humanoid robot "Vyommitra" (Viommitra, meaning "space friend" in Sanskrit) is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025 (October to December). The following unmanned missions "Gaganyaan-2 (G2)" and "Gaganyaan-3 (G3)" are planned to be launched in 2026.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842337419576396/
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