How India's Gaganyaan Spacecraft Will Use Advanced Parachutes for Safe Landing

When the Gaganyaan crew module re-enters the Earth atmosphere from orbit, it travels at a high speed of roughly 170 metres per second in the lower atmosphere, which is faster than a Formula 1 car. To slow down safely before touching down on land or water, the spacecraft relies on atmospheric drag and a complex multi-stage parachute system developed by ADRDE in Agra, a laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Parachute Stages And Design

The recovery setup includes three kinds of chutes: pilot, drogue, and main. The Gaganyaan module specifically uses two drogue chutes deployed by mortars to stabilize the vehicle and cut its speed early in the descent. It also uses three main chutes that are pulled out by small pilot chutes which are similarly fired out by mortars. Opening a full-sized main parachute all at once at high speed would create massive opening shocks, destroying the fabric or harming the astronauts. To avoid this, engineers use a stepped opening method where a strong cord and a chemical timer called a reefing line cutter delay full deployment until the vehicle reaches a safer speed. If one main parachute fails completely, the other two independent chains can still guarantee a safe landing.

Testing And Materials

These parachutes undergo rigorous checks using ground facilities like the Rail Track Rocket Sled at the Terminal Ballistic Research Lab in Chandigarh, alongside tests involving helicopters, aircraft, and small rocket-powered vehicles. Once the module lands, pyro cutters or mechanical quick-release devices immediately disconnect the parachutes so the wind cannot drag the module on land or flip it over in the sea. The parachutes are built from specialized synthetic materials chosen for strength, heat tolerance, and low weight. Kevlar is used in high-load suspension lines and structural tapes for its high tensile strength and heat resistance. Nomex handles heat-exposed zones near hot mortar gas and aerothermal heating, while nylon is used for canopy broadcloths because its elasticity absorbs initial shock loads and packs tightly into small spaces.