New Delhi, 5 August 2026
India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, is advancing steadily, with the first uncrewed experimental mission planned for the last quarter of 2026, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, shared the latest status of the mission and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).
Key Progress on Gaganyaan
Major systems required for human spaceflight have been developed and tested:
- The Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) has completed development and ground testing of all propulsion stages and structures.
- Critical systems of the Orbital Module, including propulsion, Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS), thermal protection, and avionics, have been developed and tested.
- The Crew Escape System (CES) has undergone extensive testing, with five types of motors successfully static-tested and all related structures qualified.
- Important infrastructure such as the Orbital Module Preparation Facility, Gaganyaan Control Centre, crew training facility, and modifications to the Second Launch Pad have been established.
Several test missions have already been completed successfully, including the first Test Vehicle mission (TV-D1) for the Crew Escape System and two Integrated Air Drop Tests (IADT-01 and IADT-02). Work is currently underway for the next test vehicle mission (TV-D2).
Mission Timeline
- The first uncrewed experimental mission, which will also carry the half-humanoid robot Vyommitra, is targeted for Q4 of 2026.
- Two more uncrewed missions in the same configuration as the crewed flight are planned, followed by the first crewed mission by 2027.
Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)
ISRO has finalised the overall configuration of the proposed Indian space station, which will consist of five modules. The government has already approved the development and launch of the first module (BAS-01). System engineering and technology development work for this module is currently in progress. Full operationalisation of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station is targeted for 2035.
International Collaboration & Budget
ISRO is working with several international space agencies for various aspects of the mission, including network support with the European Space Agency (ESA), crew recovery cooperation with the Australian Space Agency, training of flight surgeons with the French space agency CNES, and joint activities with Russia’s Roscosmos for training of Gaganyatris and supply of certain subsystems.
The Union Cabinet had approved a budgetary allocation of ₹20,193 crore in September 2024 for eight missions under the programme.
The detailed update was provided by Dr. Jitendra Singh in response to a Parliament question on the progress of Gaganyaan and the proposed Indian space station.
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