India’s human spaceflight program, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is progressing rapidly with the Gaganyaan mission aiming to launch the country’s first crewed spaceflight by early 2027.

In a detailed update provided to the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh, several critical technological milestones have been achieved.

The development and ground testing of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) are complete, propulsion systems for the Crew and Service Modules have been developed and tested, and the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) engineering model is realized.

Additionally, the Crew Escape System (CES) has undergone static testing of five different types of motors. Infrastructure enhancements, including the establishment of the Orbital Module Preparation Facility, Gaganyaan Control Centre, crew training facilities, and launch pad modifications, are well underway.

The program has also made progress in precursor missions designed to validate key systems, with a test vehicle successfully flight tested and preparations ongoing for subsequent tests. Ground-based flight operations and communication networks have been finalized, supported by an array of terrestrial links and IDRSS-1 feeder stations.

Crew recovery operations have been planned with dedicated assets ready, ensuring safe mission completion. The first uncrewed mission, G1, is in active preparation with completed phase-1 checks of the Crew Module and Service Module structures, with launch planned ahead of the crewed flight.

Looking beyond Gaganyaan, India envisions creating the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), a space station comprising five modules, the first of which is scheduled for launch by June 2028 with operational status targeted by 2035.

Moreover, ISRO has set an ambitious goal of landing Indian astronauts on the Moon by 2040. The agency is currently working on the architecture for the lunar mission’s launch vehicle and orbital systems.

This comprehensive roadmap demonstrates India’s escalating capabilities in human spaceflight and exploration, marking a significant stride toward establishing a long-term presence in space.

Agencies