India’s First Human Space Mission ‘Gaganyaan’ Enters Final Phase, First Crewed Flight Slated For Early 2027

India’s first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, has entered its final phase, with the country’s first crewed space mission now targeted for launch in the first quarter of 2027.

Announcing this at a media interaction at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on Tuesday (6 May), Union Minister Jitendra Singh outlined key developments in the mission.

He was joined by ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space, V Narayanan.

Singh said the mission had crossed critical milestones, including the successful execution of the TV-D1 Test Vehicle Abort Mission.

The second such test, TV-D2, is scheduled for later in 2025, followed by uncrewed orbital flights. These will pave the way for Indian astronauts to enter space aboard an Indian rocket from Indian soil in 2027.

Calling Gaganyaan a “historic mission,” Singh said, “It represents India’s rise as a global space power built on indigenous technology, fiscal prudence, and visionary political leadership.”

He also reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term space vision—including the establishment of a Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and sending an Indian to the Moon by 2040.

Key mission components—such as the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle, the Crew Escape System, and the Crew and Service Modules—are in the final stages of testing and integration.

He confirmed that the uncrewed orbital Gaganyaan mission is on track for launch later this year, with recovery trials already conducted with the Indian Navy and more sea recovery simulations planned, according to a Department of Space release.

India’s astronaut corps is also preparing steadily.

The four Indian Air Force pilots, selected as astronaut-designates, have completed training in Russia and are undergoing further mission-specific training in India. Their health, psychological fitness, and simulation-based operational readiness are being continuously assessed at India’s astronaut training facility, the media was told.

Singh highlighted the programme’s cost-efficiency and innovation spillovers.

"The expenditure being incurred on the Gaganyaan project is minimal when compared to similar human spaceflight missions conducted by other countries,” the minister said.

He added that the mission’s returns, both in terms of technological innovation and economic stimulus, far exceed the costs involved.

The programme has already given rise to multiple spinoffs—advancements in robotics, materials, electronics, and medicine—and is fostering deeper collaboration with Indian industry.

“Today, Gaganyaan is not just ISRO’s mission. It is India’s mission,” Singh said, noting the vital role played by the private sector and startups following policy reforms initiated by the government.

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