By BlueShift | 2026-05-15

India is moving ever closer to its goal of becoming the fourth nation to achieve independent human spaceflight capability, with its Gaganyaan program recently passing several important milestones.

The mission's primary goal this year is the launch of Gaganyaan G1, the first of three uncrewed test flights before the crewed portion of the program.

Though it will not carry a human crew, a humanoid robot known as Vyommitra will simulate crew functions on the G1 test flight and validate environmental and life-support systems (ECLSS) ahead of the crewed phase.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) designated 2026 as the Gaganyaan mission's uncrewed test phase, targeting 2027 for a crewed launch.

In an April 6 briefing posted on social media by Business Today, ISRO chairman V Narayanan pointed to good progress on the G1 mission but did not share a launch date.

On April 10, the G1 mission successfully completed a second integrated air drop test (IADT-02), following the successful completion of an initial drop test on August 24 of last year.

Designed to validate the performance of the parachute-based deceleration system that will ensure a safe splashdown of the crew module, the test involved a number of government and military organizations.

In addition to the ISRO, this included India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), which was heavily involved in the development of the parachute system, as well as the Indian Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.

During the test, carried out from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter lifted a roughly five-ton simulated crew module to an altitude of about three kilometers before releasing it.

The module's 10 parachutes successfully deployed in sequence, and it splashed down safely into the waters of the Bay of Bengal, where it was recovered by the Indian Navy and transported to Chennai port aboard INS Anvesh.

From there, the module was transported to ISRO facilities for analysis.

On May 1, the G1 mission successfully cleared another important hurdle with the successful high altitude test of the "emergency exit" system for the Gaganyaan's human-rated LVM3 rocket.

During the test, ISRO checked the crew escape system (CES) -- a set of small, powerful rockets attached to the top of the crew module -- to see if they could pull the capsule away from the main rocket instantly. It worked.

This system is needed to protect the astronauts in case the main rocket malfunctions or explodes during launch, and was the final requirement needed to clear the G1 mission.

Second cadre of astronauts

An initial cadre of four astronauts, known as "Gaganyatris," is preparing for Gaganyaan's first crewed mission (H1) in 2027, two or three of whom are expected to fly.

Ajit Krishnan, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla, who were selected in 2020 and presented with their "astronaut wings" in February 2024, are all Indian Air Force test pilots.

In late April, Indian media outlets reported that the ISRO was preparing to select a second cadre of around 10 astronauts for the Gaganyaan program.

The move is seen as a major step toward building a long-term human spaceflight ecosystem in India.

"ISRO is broadening its approach," News 18 reported April 29, noting that this cadre could include six military pilots and four civilian specialists with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) backgrounds.

The agency is still deciding whether the military category will remain limited to test pilots or expand to include helicopter and transport stream officers, it said.

A committee comprised of ISRO officials and current astronauts has been formed to design the next phase of astronaut selection and management, per News 18.

It will look at eligibility rules, training methods and evaluation systems and develop training procedures and infrastructure.

Astronaut training under way

Meanwhile, the ISRO's most recent annual report showed how India is preparing its first astronauts for their journey into space, India Today reported May 1.

Training sessions use a replica of the crew module, the Static Mock-up Simulator, to familiarize astronauts with real mission conditions.

Sessions in the simulator have been conducted in increments of between two and 18 hours to assess crew reachability, onboard communication, emergency exit procedures, and responses to unexpected mission scenarios.

The simulator enables astronauts to become comfortable with display systems and ensures they can function efficiently in tight quarters for extended periods.

Separately, a Virtual Reality Training Simulator enables the astronauts to rehearse operations, navigation, and emergency handling in a realistic environment that replicates mission scenarios digitally.

According to India's Economic Times, the country's space program has been buoyed by the recent success of NASA's Artemis II mission.

"The flawless flight of Artemis II is fantastic news for Indians because the Gaganyaan mission will soon happen," Ashoka University vice-chancellor and professor of physics Somak Raychaudhury told the newspaper

"It will do the same things that Artemis II did," Raychaudhury said.

"The ISRO has been working with the NASA on Artemis for a long time and our astronauts are going through the same training programs," he added.