ISRO completes three qualification tests on Gaganyaan crew module systems

ISRO/Gaganyaan

ISRO has reported three qualification tests on crew-module systems for the Gaganyaan crewed mission: the flotation inflation system that keeps the capsule upright after splashdown, the umbilical that links the crew module to the service module, and the structure that must survive the separation of the apex cover. The tests qualify these particular designs but do not certify the full mission or set a launch date.

• The flotation system was inflated from a stored cold-gas bottle and met its performance requirements across the full range of gas-bottle pressures.
• The umbilical was separated cleanly from a simulated crew module, and the panels stayed structurally stable.
• The structural test applied about 1.75 times the estimated apex-cover separation loads to a simulated crew module on a test rig.
• Integrated and uncrewed demonstration flights are still needed before crewed flight.