India’s space agency, ISRO, is preparing for an exciting lineup of seven missions over the next year and a half. The highlight among them is the first uncrewed test mission under the Gaganyaan programme, India’s big step toward sending humans to space.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan shared that before sending astronauts, the agency will carry out three uncrewed test missions to ensure complete safety and reliability. The first of these, known as the G1 Mission, is planned to take off by March 2026. The hardware for Gaganyaan has already reached the Sriharikota launch site, and assembly work is underway.
Narayanan spoke soon after the successful launch of communication satellite CMS-03 on the LVM3-M05 rocket, saying the team is fully prepared for the next phase of India’s space journey.
Here’s what ISRO has lined up:
- One more LVM3 rocket launch carrying a commercial communication satellite.
- Three PSLV missions, including one for NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm.
- A special technology development mission named PSLV-N1.
- A GSLV-F17 rocket mission.
These missions are part of a larger national vision: 50 launches in the next five years, as guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It’s an ambitious goal, but Narayanan says the ISRO team is ready for it.
In his words: “It’s not an easy task, but we are confident. Team ISRO is fully prepared to achieve this.”
India is not just reaching for space. Now, it’s getting ready to enter it.
