Gaganyaan mission on track for 2027 launch, crewed lunar mission by 2040: ISRO chief V Narayanan

ISRO chairman V Narayanan (Courtesy: PTI photo)

India's first human spaceflight mission 'Gaganyaan' is on track for 2027 launch, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan said on Wednesday. The mission is progressing well with over 80% of tests i.e. around 7,700 tests nearing completion.

"There are a lot of developments in Gaganyaan. We are planning some more experiments. Before the crewed mission, we are planning three uncrewed missions. 'Vyommitra' is going to fly on that in December 2025. Two more uncrewed missions will take place next year. Crewed Gaganyaan mission would be possible by the first quarter of 2027," he said.

ISRO has also set a target of 2040 for landing Indians on the Moon. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a guideline for an indigenous crewed lunar mission by 2040, under which we have to land our own citizens on the Moon and bring them back safely," he told news agency PTI.

The ISRO chief said India’s upcoming projects include Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, a new Mars mission, and AXOM, a high-priority astronomical observatory mission. "The Aditya-L1 mission has already yielded over 15 terabits of solar data, with valuable insights into coronal mass ejections and space weather," he added.

For missions like crewed lunar landing, India needs to enhance its launch capacity and space infrastructure and has already started work to build its space station. "From launching 35 kg initially to now envisioning 80,000 kg — that is the scale of transformation we are aiming for," Narayanan said.

India has set multiple world records in space and is today No. 1 in nine areas globally. "From discovering water on the Moon with Chandrayaan-1, to the first soft landing near the lunar south pole with Chandrayaan-3, India has set multiple world records in space. Today, we are No. 1 in nine areas globally," he asserted.

Narayanan added that India has become the fourth country to successfully achieve docking and undocking in space with the success of SPADEX mission. "We also completed the 100th launch from Sriharikota — the GSLV F15/NVS-02 Mission — and received final approval for a third launch pad catering to all launch vehicles, including the next-generation NGLV, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore," he added.