India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, has achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of an airdrop test at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the ISRO team for executing the test, calling it an important step in the preparations for India’s first human space mission, planned for next year.
ISRO has been carrying out multiple phases of testing as part of the programme. Four Indian Air Force Group Captains — Subhanshu Shukla, Prashanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan and Angad Pratap — have been selected as astronauts for the mission.
Scientists said the airdrop test success reinforces confidence in the project’s readiness. The test is aimed at ensuring that the crew module can return from space and land safely on Earth.
