NASA astronaut and Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. File
| Photo Credit: via Reuters

Image used for representational purposes. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

New Delhi:

India has broadened the scope of the Gaganyaan mission and plans to carry out two crewed space flights by 2028, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

According to the enhanced scope, the Gaganyaan programme will have eight missions — two crewed and six uncrewed — Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Singh said the earlier Gaganyaan programme entailed one crewed mission and two uncrewed ones.

The total funding for the programme has been enhanced to Rs 20,193 crore to address the programmatic requirements, according to the revised scope that includes new developments for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and precursor missions, he said.

The allocation also covers additional requirements to meet the ongoing Gaganyaan programme, he further said.

The Gaganyaan project was announced in 2019 with the first manned space flight planned for 2022.

Mr Singh said the delay was due to the slow pace of work in the industry during the Covid pandemic, which also affected the production of avionics components.

Supply chain disruptions resulted in irregular supply of raw materials and a consequent delay in realisation of hardware, he said.

A longer cycle time for the indigenous development of a life support system also led to the delay, the minister said.

The life support system could not be procured through the external route, he added.

A major design revision in the orbital module was required to contain overall mass within the launcher (Human-rated Launch Vehicle-M3) capability further added to the delay, Mr Singh said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The model of the Gaganyaan crew module, a spacecraft that will carry a crew of three astronauts into orbit and back to Earth displayed at HAL stall. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO has dispatched the Crew Module for the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (G1) after successfully completing the integration of the liquid propulsion system, the space agency said on Wednesday (January 22, 2025).

Gaganyaan will be ISRO’s first attempt to acquire human spaceflight capabilities. Before sending the crew, the ISRO is planning to send uncrewed mission to the space under its Gaganyaan project.

“On 21 January 2025, the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO dispatched the Crew Module for the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (G1), after successfully completing the integration of the liquid propulsion system,” ISRO said in a statement.

LPSC, Bengaluru has dispatched the module to Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, officials said.

According to the space agency, the Crew Module Propulsion System (CMPS) is a bi-propellant based Reaction Control System (RCS) and is meant for precise three axis control namely Pitch, Yaw and Roll, of crew module.

The control will be initiated following separation of service module during the descent and re-entry phase until the deployment of parachute-based deceleration system.

“This system employs 12 100N thrusters, pressurisation system with high pressure gas bottles and the propellant feed system along with the associated fluid control components,” ISRO said.

A 100 N thrusters are rocket motors, which are used in spacecraft for propulsion, ISRO officials said.

The Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS) designed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) was also integrated to the module at LPSC, the agency said.

It further said that the Crew Module will also undergo further integration operations including avionics package assembly, electrical harnessing and checks at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) before getting dispatched to U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru for the final phase of integration of the Orbital Module.

New Delhi:

The new ISRO chief V Narayanan said India will fly humans to space by 2026 as part of the Gaganyaan mission. Gaganyaan envisages launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 kilometres for a three-days-long mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

Speaking to NDTV, Dr Narayanan said that Gaganyaan is a high priority project for ISRO and that the rocket that will ferry Gaganyatris is now human-rated. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the four astronauts who have been selected for the Gaganyaan Mission – Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla.

Adding that a Bharatiya Antriksh Station will be in place by 2035, he said that India has a clear road map for space developments till 2047. Further, an Indian will land on the Moon by 2040, Dr Narayanan said a day before he will step in as the new ISRO chief.

Credited with developing the cryogenic engine technology when it was denied to India, Dr Narayanan said it is very hard to master. Before the Department of Space chose him as current ISRO chief S Somanath’s successor, Dr Narayanan was the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at ISRO. On the day of the announcement of his elevation, he told NDTV from Thiruvananthapuram, “We have a clear roadmap for India and I hope to take ISRO to greater heights as we have great talent.”

He led the human rating of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) or the Bahubali rocket, which will fly humans into space. LVM3 is configured as a three stage vehicle with two solid strap-on motors (S200), one liquid core stage (L110) and a high thrust cryogenic upper stage (C25). The S200 solid motor is among the largest solid boosters in the world with 204 tonnes of solid propellant.

In September last year, the Union Cabinet had approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission to the Moon. This mission aims to develop and demonstrate technologies to return to Earth after a successful lunar landing, as well as collect and analyse Moon samples on Earth. The Chandrayaan-4 mission will achieve foundational technologies and capabilities needed for an eventual Indian landing on the Moon (planned by 2040) and a safe return to Earth. Key technologies for docking, undocking, landing, safe return, and lunar sample collection and analysis will be demonstrated.

In the latest from ISRO, two Indian satellites came as close as three metres on Sunday in a trial attempt for space docking and then moved back, the Indian space agency said. “A trial attempt to reach up to 15 m and further to 3 m is done. Moving back spacecrafts to safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further,” the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in its latest update on the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, which aims to achieve an “exciting handshake” in space.

New Delhi:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that it has reached a significant milestone in the Gaganyaan Programme, with the first solid motor segment moved from the production plant to the launch complex.

The space agency said, “India’s human spaceflight dreams are taking shape!”

In a post on the social media platform X, ISRO stated, “A significant milestone for the Gaganyaan Programme! The first solid motor segment has been moved from the production plant to the launch complex, marking a key step towards the HLVM3 G1 flight.”

A significant milestone for the Gaganyaan Program! The first solid motor segment has been moved from the production plant to the launch complex, marking a key step towards the HLVM3 G1 flight. India’s human spaceflight dreams are taking shape! #Gaganyaan#ISROpic.twitter.com/e32BNWeG2O

— ISRO (@isro) December 13, 2024

In September, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said that efforts were underway to launch India’s first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, by the end of this year.

“Gaganyaan is ready for launch; we are trying to launch it by the end of this year,” Somanath had said.

The Gaganyaan Programme, approved in December 2018, envisages human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the establishment of technologies required for a long-term Indian human space exploration endeavour.

On 18 September, the Cabinet approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission to the Moon. This mission aims to develop and demonstrate technologies to return to Earth after a successful lunar landing, as well as collect and analyse Moon samples on Earth.

The Chandrayaan-4 mission will achieve foundational technologies and capabilities needed for an eventual Indian landing on the Moon (planned by 2040) and a safe return to Earth. Key technologies for docking, undocking, landing, safe return, and lunar sample collection and analysis will be demonstrated.

The central government’s expanded vision for the Indian space programme during the Amrit Kaal includes an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and an Indian landing on the Moon by 2040.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

ISRO on Tuesday said it carried out ‘well deck’ recovery trials of the Gaganyaan with the Indian Navy on December 6.

The trials were carried out at Eastern Naval Command using a ‘well deck’ ship off the coast of Vishakhapatnam, ISRO said in a statement.

The space agency said the well deck in a ship can be flooded with water so that boats, landing crafts, recovered spacecraft can be taken inside to dock within the ship.

Once the Crew Module touches down in the sea at the end of the mission, crew have to be recovered in the minimum possible time and with the least discomfort, it said.

One of the preferred options is to tow the Crew Module along with the crew inside the well deck of the ship where the crew can come out comfortably, ISRO explained.

It said that the trials for well deck recovery were carried out using a mass and shape-simulated Crew Module Mock-up.

The sequence of operations for well deck recovery of Crew Module was carried out by Indian Navy and ISRO during the trials. The sequence includes the attachment of the recovery buoy, towing, entering into the well deck ship, positioning of Crew Module on the fixture and draining of the well-deck, ISRO said.

“This trial validated the overall sequence of operations, ground fixtures and will help in fine tuning Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This trial is part of the series of recovery trials being carried out by Indian Navy and ISRO to finalise the SOPs for recovery operations for nominal as well as off-nominal conditions,” the Indian space agency explained.

Gaganyaan, which is among the projects approved by the Union Cabinet, is India’s first human space mission.

Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath in September said that this mission will be ready for launch by the end of 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The model of a Gaganyaan crew module. Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO intends to carry out three un-crewed missions and one crewed mission. The first un-crewed mission is scheduled to take place in 2024-25, and the first crewed mission is scheduled in 2025-27.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and European Space Agency (ESA) signed a Technical Implementing Plan (TIP) document for Ground Tracking Support for India’s Gaganyaan missions. 

The TIP enables the ESA to provide ground station support for Gaganyaan missions, which will ensure continuity in data flow and communication with the Orbital Module for monitoring and orbital operations.

ISRO said that it has a long-standing system of co-operation with the ESA. They have been collaboratively supporting each other in successful accomplishment of several space missions in the past and are committed to collaboration activities in the future. The signing of the TIP is another step forward in the co-operation between ISRO and ESA.

The TIP was signed by Dr Anil Kumar A. K., Director, ISTRAC, on behalf of ISRO, and by Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality and Director of ESTEC, Netherlands, from ESA, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) on December 4.

The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO intends to carry out three un-crewed missions and one crewed mission. The first un-crewed mission is scheduled to take place in 2024-25, and the first crewed mission is scheduled in 2025-27.

Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO intends to carry out three un-crewed space missions and one crewed mission. The first un-crewed mission is scheduled to take place in 2024-25, and the first crewed mission is scheduled in 2025-27.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Australian Space Agency (ASA) have signed an Implementation Agreement (IA) for further strengthening cooperation in space activities between Australia and India.

The IA, which enables cooperation between both space agencies on crew and crew module recovery for Gaganyaan missions, was signed between the two space agencies on November 20.

ISRO has embarked on the Human Spaceflight Mission, Gaganyaan programme with an objective of demonstrating human space flight capability (HSFC) in Low Earth Orbit in an Indian Crew Module with up to three crew members for up to three days, and safely recovering them after the mission.

The IA enables the Australian authorities to work with Indian authorities to ensure support for search and rescue of crew and recovery of crew module as part of contingency planning for ascent phase aborts near Australian waters.

India and Australia are enduring strategic partners. Both space agencies are working closely and are committed to explore current and future collaboration activities. The signing of the IA is another step forward in the cooperation between Indian and Australian space agencies.

IA was signed by D.K. Singh, Director, HSFC on behalf of ISRO in Bengaluru, and Jarrod Powell, General Manager, Space Capability Branch, on behalf of ASA at Canberra.

Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO intends to carry out three un-crewed missions and one crewed mission. The first un-crewed mission is scheduled to take place in 2024-25, and the first crewed mission is scheduled in 2025-27.

New Delhi:

In an ambitious push to space, the Union Cabinet has approved a groundbreaking suite of space missions amounting to Rs 31,772 crores. The missions pave the roadmap for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) till almost 2040.

The announcement, made during the first hundred days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term, includes several high-profile projects, including Chandrayaan-4, a mission to Venus, and enhancements to the Gaganyaan project.

ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath expressed his enthusiasm for the approved initiatives, stating, “India’s ambitious space vision and roadmap have now been given the wings to fly high,” he said in an exclusive chat with NDTV.

The ‘fabulous four’ approvals are poised to elevate India’s status in the global space arena and address practical applications of space technology for everyday life. “At ISRO we will ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promising planetary vision to rocket India to be a developed nation or Viksit Bharat by 2047 does not falter,” Mr Somnath said.

Among the most notable projects is ‘Chandrayaan-4’, which has been allocated Rs 2,104 crores. This mission aims to collect samples from the Moon’s Shiv-Shakti area, making it a crucial precursor to India’s goal of landing humans on the Moon by 2040. Dr Somanath highlighted the mission’s importance, emphasizing its potential to enrich India’s scientific understanding of lunar geology.

“Chandrayaan-3 demonstrated it is possible for us to soft land at a location (on the moon) and then the scientific experiments did very well. Next step is to go and come back safely, and to do that we need to develop many technologies. All this is part of Chandrayaan-4. There will also be scientific missions like sample collection,” Mr Somanath says.

“If India go to moon, we will bring something new. There are many problems on bringing something back from the moon. You need to drill and collect it from different places. Then there is a robotic activity of taking the sample and storing it in a container. Then the container needs to transferred from that place to a lander which will come take off from the Moon. This process is robotic, and can go wrong,” he adds, highlighting the complexities of the mission.

Additionally, a mission to explore Venus has also received approval, further showcasing ISRO’s commitment to planetary science. The establishment of the ‘Bhartiya Antariksha Station’, a homegrown space station, alongside the development of a new mega rocket, indicates a strong commitment to enhancing India’s capabilities in human spaceflight and deep space exploration.

Dr Somanath assured the public that while ISRO aims for the stars, it remains grounded in addressing the needs of everyday citizens: “We will not forget the farmer or fisherman while exploring the solar system.” He underscored that the benefits of space technology must touch every Indian’s life, reinforcing the idea that ISRO’s endeavors are not only about exploration but also about improving life on Earth.

The ambitious roadmap set forth by the Union Cabinet signals a new era for Indian space exploration, reflecting a determination to solidify India’s position as a leading player in the global space community. With these bold initiatives, ISRO is preparing to propel India into a higher orbit.