Crewed spaceflight
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India's first human-rated launch and capsule, pulling human-spaceflight-grade work into Indian suppliers.
Gaganyaan is India's programme to fly astronauts to low Earth orbit on Indian hardware. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it on 15 August 2018, and the Union Cabinet approved it on 28 December 2018 with ₹10,000 crore for a crewed flight then planned for 2021. In September 2024 the Cabinet widened the programme to include the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, raising the total to ₹20,193 crore (about US$2.1 billion). ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru leads it.
The spacecraft has a crew module for three people (about 8 m³ of living space, 3.5 m across) and an unpressurised service module with five 440 N engines and sixteen 100 N thrusters; together they weigh about 8.2 tonnes. It will fly on the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3), with two S200 solid boosters, an L110 core stage with two Vikas engines, and a cryogenic upper stage with the CE20 engine. A solid-motor crew escape system sits on top. The crew module splashes down under ten parachutes and is recovered at sea.
Key dates: pad abort test 5 July 2018; first test-vehicle abort flight (TV-D1, an escape test at about Mach 1.2) 21 October 2023; first integrated air-drop test of a 5.7-tonne dummy crew module from a Chinook helicopter 24 August 2025; second air-drop test 10 April 2026. HLVM3 integration and testing were reported complete by mid-December 2025, and integration of Vyommitra began on 28 April 2026. Four astronaut-designates were chosen from experienced Indian test pilots and did early training in Russia.
Setbacks: G1 was first planned for December 2020. It slipped to December 2021 (partly because of COVID-19), then to December 2024, February 2025, late 2025 and the second half of 2026. In October 2025 ISRO's chairman, V. Narayanan, said G1 would fly in the first week of December 2025; that did not happen. No single official reason has been published for the later slips beyond the volume of human-rating tests (over 7,700 ground tests done by August 2025).
Status (2026): on 4 September 2026 Narayanan said G1 would launch in this calendar year, and on 24 October 2026 he said it would fly "in two months" from Sriharikota on HLVM3, carrying Vyommitra. G1 will also carry an engineering model of the life-support system and small science experiments, including fruit flies.
Next: G1 around late December 2026, then two more uncrewed flights (G2 and G3, from 2027) and a further abort test. ISRO targets the first crewed flight (H1, three crew, three-day mission at about 400 km) for no earlier than 2027.
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5 July 2018
ISRO fired the crew escape system from the launch pad to show it could pull a crew module clear of a failing rocket.
Why it matters: First proof of the crew safety system that every later Gaganyaan flight depends on.
15 August 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would fly its own astronauts on Indian hardware.
Why it matters: Set a national goal that has since drawn Indian industry into human-rated space hardware.
28 December 2018
The Union Cabinet approved ₹10,000 crore for a crewed flight, then planned for 2021.
Why it matters: Gave ISRO a funded programme and long-term work for Indian suppliers.
November 2020
Larsen & Toubro delivered the first Gaganyaan launch hardware, an S200 booster segment of about 5.5 tonnes, made at Powai, Mumbai.
Why it matters: Showed a private Indian firm building human-rated launcher parts, a model for other suppliers.
4 April 2022
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited handed over the first set of Gaganyaan crew module structure hardware to ISRO.
Why it matters: Moved the crew module from design to metal, with an Indian aerospace manufacturer as structure supplier.
21 October 2023
A single-stage test vehicle carried a crew module to altitude and triggered the escape system at about Mach 1.2; the module splashed down and was recovered.
Why it matters: Proved crew escape in flight, the main safety step before any uncrewed orbital flight.
September 2024
The Cabinet widened the programme to include the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, raising the total to ₹20,193 crore (about US$2.1 billion).
Why it matters: Extends demand for life-support, docking and module hardware well beyond the first crewed flight.
December 2024
ISRO's tracking network signed a technical implementing plan with the European Space Agency for ground-station support.
Why it matters: International ground-segment support lowers mission risk and opens work for tracking-service providers.
24 August 2025
A 5.7-tonne dummy crew module was dropped from a Chinook helicopter to test the full ten-parachute recovery sequence.
Why it matters: Parachute recovery is a must-pass item for flying astronauts; watch for the full qualification record.
Mid-December 2025
Integration and testing of the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3) were reported complete.
Why it matters: Clears the launcher for the first uncrewed flight; over 7,700 ground tests had been done by August 2025.
10 April 2026
ISRO completed a second integrated air-drop test of the crew module recovery system, again using a Chinook helicopter.
Why it matters: Adds confidence in the parachute system before the G1 orbital flight.
July 2026
Nova Systems commissioned a ground station on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands for ISRO's tracking network and stays on as project manager.
Why it matters: Shows how Gaganyaan creates ground-segment work for overseas firms under government-to-government deals.
About late December 2026 (on 24 Oct 2026 ISRO's chairman said "in two months")
First uncrewed orbital flight on HLVM3 from Sriharikota, carrying the half-humanoid robot Vyommitra (integration began 28 April 2026) and small experiments including fruit flies.
What to watch: launch date, a clean orbit and recovery at sea; G1 has slipped many times since its first 2020 target.
No earlier than 2027
After uncrewed flights G2 and G3, ISRO plans to fly three astronauts for a three-day mission at about 400 km; the astronaut-designates are experienced Indian test pilots.
What to watch: whether G2 and G3 fly on time; success would make India's crew launch capability its own, end to end.
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Partners drawn from ISRO statements, company releases and trade press as of 7 Nov 2026. The G1 launch date has not been formally announced; the chairman's latest statement (24 Oct 2026) points to about late December 2026.
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| Compared item | Gaganyaan (reference) | Shenzhou (China) | SpaceX Crew Dragon (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 3 | 4 typical (designed for up to 7) |
| Mass | About 8.2 t orbital module (crew module 5.3 t in one source) | 7,840 kg | Not verified |
| Launcher | HLVM3 | Long March 2F | Falcon 9 |
| Uncrewed test flights before crew | G1 (late 2026), G2, G3 planned | Four (Shenzhou 1–4, from 19 Nov 1999) | One (Demo-1, 2 Mar 2019) |
| First crewed flight | No earlier than 2027 (H1) | 15 Oct 2003 (Shenzhou 5) | May 2020 (Demo-2, two astronauts) |
| Operator | ISRO | China Manned Space Agency | SpaceX for NASA and private customers |
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