ISRO completes Gaganyaan CM-SM separation tests

ISRO has completed tests of the separation system between the Gaganyaan Crew Module and Service Module. The announcement was made on 2026-10-16.

ISRO announced the completed CM-SM separation tests on 2026-10-16. The testing was conducted at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Gaganyaan Orbital Module is made of a Crew Module and a Service Module. The two elements are joined through a separation system and are serviced through umbilical connections, while operating as one unit before launch and through the on-orbit phase.

Before re-entry, the Crew Module is to separate from the Service Module. The separation process is designed around several ordered events that use pyrotechnic devices and jettison systems.

The test campaign simulated CM-SM separation while severing umbilical links. It validated the design adequacy of the separation systems and demonstrated robustness and shock survivability in critical Crew Module subsystems.

The Crew Module carries avionics, inertial navigation, thermal protection, an umbilical shield, pyrotechnics, and equipment for thermal and humidity control.

The results established confidence in the CM-SM separation system for G1. G1 is described as uncrewed and as the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, with a launch date of 2026.

The tests address a critical function for the Gaganyaan Orbital Module: separating the Crew Module from the Service Module before re-entry. The reported results validate the separation design and show shock survivability for critical Crew Module subsystems.

The announcement also ties those results to G1, an uncrewed first Gaganyaan mission with a launch date of 2026. That gives readers a concrete, test-based checkpoint tied to a named mission and date.