The Inand Gaganyaan Missiondian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT), marking a crucial milestone in preparations for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, which is scheduled for Q1 2027.
The successful test reinforces ISRO’s human-rating protocols and strengthens astronaut safety preparedness.

Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT)

About IMAT

The Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT) is a critical validation test conducted by ISRO for the Gaganyaan mission.
The test involves dropping a full-scale parachute system from a high altitude to verify its performance during atmospheric re-entry and landing.

The successful completion of IMAT brings India closer to achieving its first human spaceflight capability.

Key Features of IMAT

• IMAT simulates extreme descent conditions, including delayed parachute deployment, to test system reliability.

• It evaluates the structural strength, load-bearing capacity, and stability of the parachute system under high stress.

• The test is a crucial component of human-rating certification, ensuring maximum safety for astronauts during landing.

Gaganyaan Mission

About the Mission

The Gaganyaan mission is India’s first human spaceflight programme, aimed at sending a crew of three astronauts to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 400 km for a duration of three days, followed by a safe return to Earth.

The programme includes multiple unmanned test missions, after which the first manned mission is expected in early 2027.

Significance of Gaganyaan

The successful execution of Gaganyaan will place India among an elite group of spacefaring nations, namely the United States, Russia, and China, that possess indigenous human spaceflight capabilities.

Key Technologies Ensuring Crew Safety

Human-Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3)

The HLVM3 is a human-rated version of ISRO’s LVM3 rocket, redesigned to meet stringent human-rating safety requirements.
It consists of solid, liquid, and cryogenic stages, configured to safely launch the Orbital Module into Low Earth Orbit (400 km).

The launch vehicle is equipped with a Crew Escape System (CES) featuring high burn-rate solid motors, which ensure safe abort capability in case of emergencies during launch or ascent.

Crew Escape System (CES)

The Crew Escape System is designed to rapidly pull the crew module away from the launch vehicle during emergencies, ensuring astronaut survival in critical situations.

Orbital Module (OM)

The Orbital Module consists of:

• The Crew Module (CM), and

• The Service Module (SM).

The Crew Module (CM) is a pressurized, habitable space providing an Earth-like environment for astronauts. It has a pressurized inner structure and an unpressurized outer structure for protection during re-entry.

The Service Module (SM) supports the CM while in orbit by providing thermal control, propulsion, power supply, avionics, and deployment mechanisms. The SM remains unpressurized and is discarded before re-entry.

Conclusion

The successful IMAT marks a significant step toward ensuring astronaut safety and validating critical recovery systems for Gaganyaan. With continued testing and system integration, India is steadily advancing toward its first human spaceflight mission in 2027.

AvironiX Drones, a Chennai-based deep-tech drone company, has recently announced the launch of AviSpray-10c, a next-generation agricultural spraying drone aimed at improving precision farming and reducing operational costs for Indian farmers.

About AviSpray-10c

The AviSpray-10c is a compact, backpack-sized agricultural spraying drone that is 53% smaller than most drones in the current generation.
It has been developed by AvironiX Drones, a company focused on precision agriculture and defence technologies.

The drone is specifically designed to reduce costs, operational complexity, and manpower requirements associated with drone-based crop spraying in India.

Unlike many agricultural drones that are primarily tested in laboratory environments, the AviSpray-10c has undergone extensive real-world validation. It is built on operational insights gained from spraying over 6,000 acres of farmland, covering diverse crops such as sugarcane and paddy.

Key Advantages of AviSpray-10c

Portability and Ease of Transport

• The backpack-sized form factor allows the drone to be easily transported on scooters and bicycles.

• It eliminates the need for bulky transport vehicles and permanent drone mounting boxes.

Operational Efficiency

• The drone enables single-operator deployment, removing the need for an assistant.

• It can cover up to 5 acres per battery charge, representing a 60% improvement over comparable agricultural drones.

• Reduced battery requirements result in lower upfront capital costs and lower fuel and energy consumption.

Precision and Safety Features

• The AviSpray-10c offers a two-fold improvement in spraying accuracy, ensuring efficient and uniform pesticide application.

• It is equipped with terrain-following radar and collision-avoidance systems, enhancing safety and performance in uneven fields.

• The drone supports multiple nozzle configurations and swappable chemical tanks, allowing flexibility for different crops and spraying needs.

Significance for Indian Agriculture

The AviSpray-10c supports the adoption of drone-based precision farming, helping reduce chemical wastage, labour dependency, and operational costs.
By making agricultural drones more affordable, portable, and farmer-friendly, it contributes to sustainable agriculture, higher productivity, and the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat in agri-technology.