India is set to take a major leap in its space ambitions with plans to launch an uncrewed orbital mission later this year, paving the way for the country’s first human spaceflight in early 2027, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced Tuesday.
The upcoming mission is part of the Gaganyaan program, India’s flagship human spaceflight initiative. “It represents India's rise as a global space power,” said Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, highlighting the country's accelerating momentum in space exploration.
According to the Department of Space, recovery trials for the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission have already been conducted in collaboration with the Indian Navy, with further sea recovery simulations scheduled. These exercises are critical precursors to launching astronauts into orbit aboard Indian rockets from Indian soil.
ISRO confirmed that the maiden human spaceflight is on schedule for the first quarter of 2027. “Training of astronauts is also progressing steadily,” the agency said, noting that four Indian Air Force pilots have completed basic astronaut training in Russia and are currently undergoing mission-specific preparation in India.
India’s space ambitions have gained significant traction in recent years, combining technical prowess with cost-effective execution. In August 2023, India became the fourth nation—after Russia, the United States, and China—to successfully land an unmanned craft on the Moon, achieving global acclaim for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Looking even further ahead, India has set an ambitious target: to send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
Meanwhile, India is poised to send one of its own into orbit sooner than ever. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, is expected to fly to the International Space Station this month, becoming the first Indian to do so and only the second Indian astronaut in history after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 spaceflight aboard a Soviet spacecraft.
Shukla will pilot Axiom Mission 4, a collaborative venture between NASA and ISRO, launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. His participation is seen as a significant milestone for India’s emerging astronaut corps and a potential precursor to future Gaganyaan flights.
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