Illustrative      

Picture a white-and-orange capsule adorned with the Indian tricolour, drifting silently in the void of space some 400 kilometres above Earth. It edges closer to the International Space Station, a colossal orbiting laboratory the size of a football pitch that has circled our planet since 1998, reported The Week.

India and the United States are in advanced discussions to dispatch an uncrewed Gaganyaan module to dock with the ISS.

This module will transport instruments and cargo, but no humans. Docking entails linking two spacecraft in orbit, akin to coupling train carriages—only these travel at 28,000 kilometres per hour, where the slightest error proves fatal.

ISRO and NASA are collaborating as equal partners, a notable shift since the US rarely extends such access in space endeavours.

Should this proposal come to fruition, it would represent India’s inaugural autonomous rendezvous and docking with an operational international space station. This milestone would propel the nation’s human spaceflight programme from brief orbital jaunts to enduring space infrastructure prowess.

The effort stems from deepening ties between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), accelerated by the 2023 India-US Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation.

Momentum has built through India’s role in Axiom Mission 4, featuring astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to the ISS for microgravity experiments and training that directly aids Gaganyaan.

“This proposal, if realised, would mark India’s first autonomous rendezvous and docking with an operational international space station and significantly elevate the country’s human spaceflight roadmap from short-duration orbital missions to sustained space infrastructure capability,” noted Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of SpaceKidz India Limited.

Mastering docking and proximity operations remains essential for any nation aspiring to construct or maintain an orbital outpost. “This holds special relevance for India’s Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), a modular facility slated for initial module launches in the early 2030s and full operations by 2035. BAS is conceived as a 20-tonne-class station in low Earth orbit,” Kesan added.

Gaganyaan, greenlit in 2018 with a budget nearing ₹10,000 crore, stands as India’s pioneering indigenous human spaceflight venture. It targets sending three astronauts to low Earth orbit at around 400 km altitude for three to seven days via the human-rated LVM-3 (HLVM-3).

The 5.3-ton Crew Module accommodates life support, re-entry, and splashdown, while the Service Module delivers propulsion, power, and manoeuvring.

Why does this uncrewed docking carry such weight? It serves as a rigorous rehearsal before the ultimate test. India’s grand vision includes the Bharatiya Antariksh Station operational by 2035.

“To assemble and operate a space station, flawless docking proficiency is non-negotiable. ISRO honed this with its SpaDeX satellites in 2024 and 2025, when two miniature Indian craft docked successfully in orbit. Yet docking with the ISS—the most intricate structure ever lofted into space—presents a far steeper challenge and a profound vote of confidence,” observed defence & space analyst Girish Linganna.

This test also sustains Gaganyaan’s timeline. The inaugural uncrewed flight, G1, is slated for March 2026. It will house Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot—its name translating to “space friend”—tasked with monitoring cabin conditions, communicating with ground control, and validating crew safety.

The mission extends beyond orbit. Post-tasks, the capsule re-enters at blistering velocities, incandescent as a meteor, before parachutes decelerate it for a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal.

That return to Indian waters symbolises the complete crewed spaceflight cycle. Envision Vyommitra, sensors humming within the Indian craft, relaying vital data to safeguard future gaganyatris—India’s astronauts.

Following two additional uncrewed trials, the crewed mission is targeted for 2027.

Uncrewed craft have docked with the ISS previously. Russia’s Progress resupply vessels arrive routinely, as have SpaceX’s Dragon, Japan’s HTV, and Europe’s ATV with provisions and gear.

India’s bid is unique: no nation developing its debut crewed spacecraft has assayed docking with the pre-eminent global space laboratory. “It resembles a novice boxer entering the ring with a champion—not to spar, but to absorb lessons through proximity,” Linganna remarked.

A triumph here would rank India among the elite capable of autonomous, human-rated docking. It would link short-term human spaceflight aims with the Bharatiya Antariksh Station’s long-term goals, evolving from mere launches to robust orbital infrastructure mastery.

The Week