"India's Gaganyaan crew capsule undergoes parachute testing with rocket sled"

India's Gaganyaan mission, aimed at independently launching astronauts to space, conducted drogue parachute deployment tests using a rocket sled. The drogue parachutes are crucial for stabilizing and decelerating the Gaganyaan crew module during reentry. The successful tests pave the way for a high-altitude abort test in September or October. The Gaganyaan mission plans to conduct uncrewed flights in 2023 and 2024 to validate technology and ensure safe human spaceflight. If all goes according to plan, India could launch its first crewed Gaganyaan flight by late 2024, joining the United States, Russia, and China in the ability to launch people to space.