India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, remains firmly on track for launch in 2027, ISRO Chief V. Narayanan confirmed during his recent briefing on India’s expanding space program.

The mission will mark a historic step for India as it prepares to send its first set of astronauts—referred to as Vyomnauts—into Low Earth Orbit, advancing the nation into the league of countries with independent human spaceflight capability.

A major milestone was achieved with the recent drogue parachute deployment test, which validated the safe deceleration of the crew module during atmospheric re-entry. The 5.8-meter conical ribbon parachute, housed in a mortar system, successfully deployed at high velocity to stabilise the module, ensuring a controlled descent profile critical for crew safety.

Highlighting India’s growing expertise in planetary exploration, Narayanan announced that the Prime Minister has set a national objective of achieving the first crewed lunar landing by 2040. The mission envisions developing capability not just for lunar surface transport but also for two-way crewed journeys between Earth and the Moon.

Building on Chandrayaan-3’s unprecedented successful soft landing near the lunar south pole, ISRO aims to leverage this momentum toward developing habitation and advanced propulsion technologies suitable for long-duration human missions beyond Earth orbit.

India continues to adopt an open and strategic approach to global cooperation in space science and exploration. The ISRO Chief emphasised that collaborative projects will align closely with India’s scientific goals and national priorities, ensuring that data sharing and technology partnerships mutually enhance international research capacity.

This position is reinforced by India’s growing engagement in global initiatives focusing on planetary science, communication satellite constellations, and lunar resource mapping. Such partnerships will also support the human spaceflight and lunar programs through shared expertise and logistical infrastructure.

The Aditya-L1 Mission, India’s first dedicated solar observatory, has already generated over 15 terabits of solar observation data, providing crucial insights into coronal mass ejections and space weather dynamics. These findings are vital for understanding solar activity and its potential impact on satellite communications, navigation systems, and human spaceflight safety.

The mission’s data analysis marks a leap forward in real-time helio-physics monitoring capabilities, cementing India’s role in international solar observation efforts.

To sustain and scale its expanding interplanetary goals, ISRO is now focusing on developing an indigenous heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 80,000 kilograms (80 tonnes) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This vehicle will form the backbone of India’s future deep-space missions, including lunar and Mars transport modules, large space station components, and heavy scientific payloads.

This next-generation launcher is expected to evolve through modules derived from existing rocket families like LVM3, incorporating advanced propulsion stages, reusable systems, and enhanced payload capacity.

Narayanan also highlighted ISRO’s growing stature in the global commercial launch market. To date, India has successfully placed 433 foreign satellites from 34 countries into orbit, emphasising its reliability, cost-effectiveness, and precision in launch operations. The consistent performance of the PSLV and LVM-3 rockets has positioned India as a preferred partner for global satellite deployment.

These successes strengthen India’s space economy and support the government’s “SpaceTech” commercialisation strategy, fostering international confidence in Indian aerospace capabilities.

Agencies