The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out a successful test of the drogue parachute developed for Gaganyaan, India's human spaceflight programme. A drogue parachute is a small parachute deployed to slow down and stabilise a descending module before its main parachutes open. Validating this system is an important step towards the safe recovery of the crew module, and hence of astronauts, at the end of a Gaganyaan mission. The test adds to the series of qualification trials being completed before India's first crewed flight.