ISRO completes crew-service module separation tests for Gaganyaan

ISRO on Friday announced the successful completion of a series of Crew Module-Service Module separation tests for the Gaganyaan programme. The crew and service modules fly as one integrated unit from launch through the on-orbit phase; before re-entry, the crew module separates through precisely sequenced pyrotechnic and jettisoning events. The tests, realised at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, simulated the severing of umbilical connections between the modules, validated the separation system's design adequacy and demonstrated robustness and shock-survivability of critical crew-module subsystems. ISRO said the results provide confidence in the separation system for the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission (G1), targeted for launch in 2026. The announcement reports ground-test completion; it does not by itself confirm a launch date.

DTT summary based on The New Indian Express's report. The full article is on the publisher's site.