New Delhi, Dec. 3 -- Union Minister of State (MoS) for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh on Wednesday informed Parliament that the recent Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT), successfully conducted by ISRO, has marked a crucial step in strengthening the mission-readiness roadmap for India's first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan.

Responding to queries in the Lok Sabha, Jitendra Singh stated that the IMAT is a crucial component of the ongoing qualification campaign for the Crew Module's parachute-based deceleration system, one of the most critical human-rating elements of the mission.

Singh explained that the latest IMAT simulated one of the most extreme descent conditions: a deliberate delay in the disreefing sequence ...