Bengaluru— India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has reached a major milestone, with nearly 90 per cent of its development work completed, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan announced on Thursday.
“The Gaganyaan mission is progressing very well. When you talk about this mission, several critical technologies must be developed — including human-rating of the rocket, development of the orbital module, environmental control and safety systems, the crew escape mechanism, and the parachute system,” Narayanan said while briefing reporters on the sidelines of the Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC-2025) scheduled in New Delhi from November 3 to 5.
He confirmed that the agency’s next phase involves three uncrewed test missions before launching astronauts into space. “In the first uncrewed mission, Vyommitra, our humanoid robot, will fly. We are working toward achieving the crewed mission by early 2027,” he added.
On August 24, 2025, ISRO successfully conducted its first integrated air-drop test at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The test validated the end-to-end performance of the critical parachute-based deceleration system designed to ensure safe re-entry and splashdown of the crew module.
Explaining the test, Narayanan said, “For the Gaganyaan programme, the return phase is crucial — nearly nine parachutes must function in perfect synchronisation for a safe splashdown. We lifted a simulated crew module using a helicopter to a height of three kilometres and achieved a successful splashdown.”
The Gaganyaan mission, once accomplished, will make India the fourth nation in the world to independently send humans into space, joining the United States, Russia, and China.
