The Gaganyaan Mission, India’s first crewed spaceflight program, is expected to launch by the end of 2026, with its first uncrewed test flight slated for early 2025, according to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath.
The mission aims to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability by sending astronauts into orbit 400 kilometers above Earth for a three-day mission. The astronauts will then return safely, landing in Indian waters. If successful, the project, which is estimated to cost ₹90 billion, will make India the fourth nation to send humans into space, following the Soviet Union, the US, and China.
Speaking at an event in IIT-Guwahati, Somanath explained that the project has been in the works for the past four years. “Our rocket is completely ready. The first uncrewed test flight is scheduled for early next year. We initially aimed for December, but technical issues have caused a slight delay,” he said.
Somanath added that three additional launches will occur before the crewed mission at the end of 2026. “The first launch will carry a robot named Vyommitra, followed by two more similar launches. After all three launches are successful, the crewed mission will proceed.”
In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the names of four astronauts who are currently undergoing training for the mission: Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
Somanath also discussed the upcoming Chandrayaan 4 mission, which will build on the success of Chandrayaan 3’s landing on the lunar south pole in August 2023. “Chandrayaan 4 will revisit the south pole, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth,” he said. “This will demonstrate two new technologies: sample return and a round-trip journey to the Moon.”
However, he mentioned that the mission faces a challenge with the rocket, as the satellite mass is too high, requiring two separate launches to interlock the satellites in space. This maneuver would be a first for India and a significant milestone in space exploration.
