India has tested the crew escape system for its Gaganyaan crew capsule in a pad abort trial, according to Indian media reports. The test lasted about 220 seconds during a two-hour window that opened at 6 am local time. ISRO has not yet officially confirmed the outcome, though reports described it as a success. The crew escape system is designed to pull the crew module away from the rocket in an emergency on the launch pad. It uses solid-fuel motors to carry the capsule to safety. The test is a key step for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight programme. The mission aims to send three Vyomanauts to a 400 km orbit for three days before splashing down in Indian waters. ISRO plans uncrewed test flights before any crewed mission. If successful, India would become the fourth country to send humans to orbit on its own vehicle, after Russia, the US and China. An official statement from the space agency is awaited.