An important update has come from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) regarding Mission Gaganyaan. ISRO has successfully conducted a short-term hot test of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System. ISRO successfully conducted two hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri on July 3, 2025.

Test details
Two short-term heat tests were conducted for 30 seconds and 100 seconds to confirm the configuration of the test material. The overall performance of the propulsion system during these heat tests remained normal as per pre-test predictions. During the 100-second test, the simultaneous operation of all Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engines as well as all Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters in various modes (steady state; pulsed) was also successfully demonstrated.

ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is leading the technology development activities for Gaganyaan SMPS. The SMPS is a critical system of the Gaganyaan orbital module and is required during orbital maneuvering as well as specific abort scenarios. It consists of 5 Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engines (440N thrust each) and 16 Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters (100N thrust each).

Future plans

To simulate the propulsion system conditions closer to flight, the SMPS test article for these hot tests has incorporated improvements based on the experiences gained from earlier hot tests. With the confidence gained from these hot tests, ISRO will soon conduct a full-duration hot test, the ISRO release said.

What is Gaganyaan Mission?

ISRO's Gaganyaan mission is India's first human spaceflight programme. Its main objective is to send three Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers and bring them back safely to Earth after a three-day mission.