India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which marks the nation's first crewed spaceflight initiative, will not be launched in 2025 as originally scheduled.
S Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced a new timeline, moving the launch to 2026.
Somanath shared the updated schedule during the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture at Akashvani (All India Radio). This postponement demonstrates ISRO's dedication to ensuring the mission's safety and success, as the agency is adopting a careful approach to human spaceflight.
At the same time, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of the chosen four astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission, is undergoing training with Axiom Space for a launch to the Space Station. He will be part of a scientific mission alongside three other astronauts aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.
Along with the Gaganyaan update, ISRO Chief Somanath shared timelines for several major upcoming projects:
Gaganyaan: India’s first manned space mission is now planned for 2026.
Chandrayaan-4: A lunar sample return mission is scheduled for 2028.
NISAR: The India-US collaborative mission is set for launch in 2025.
Additionally, Somanath announced plans for Chandrayaan-5, a joint moon-landing mission with Japan's space agency, JAXA, anticipated sometime after 2028.
Follow us
