Written by Anonna DuttNew Delhi | Updated: January 2, 2026 04:16 AM IST 4 min readThe Gaganyaan mission — first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2018 — was initially targeted for 2021 as India celebrated its 75th year of Independence.The timeline for the country’s human spaceflight programme has been a moving target — with another year passing without the first of three uncrewed missions taking off despite a revised deadline.Now, as per the new timeline, the first uncrewed mission — HLVM3 G1/ OM1 — is likely before March this year. This mission will use an unpressurised crew module to demonstrate the complete mission — the human-rated launch vehicle will put the spacecraft in a low earth orbit, ensure re-entry of the crew module, a smooth splashdown and recovery of the module.Changing deadlinesThe Gaganyaan mission — first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2018 — was initially targeted for 2021 as India celebrated its 75th year of Independence. The mission got delayed during the pandemic as the space agency encountered supply chain and manufacturing challenges.The deadlines set afterwards were also missed.The space agency in FY22 committed to at least one mission under the Gaganyaan programme the following year. Subsequently, the mission target was reduced to zero for FY23 and FY24 in the next year’s annual report. ISRO again committed to two missions under the programme in FY25. And, finally in its latest annual report, the space agency committed to three missions under the Gaganyaan programme in FY26, which seems unlikely.ISRO commenced its “official launch campaign” for the Gaganyaan mission in December 2024. A launch campaign is essentially the period of intense activity ahead of a lift-off when the satellite is brought to the spaceport and integration of the launch vehicle starts. The assembly of the first solid motor, which makes up the first stage of the rocket, started on December 18, 20424. The integration of the crew module and the service module — which come together to form the entire spacecraft — had also commenced. By January 2025, the propulsion systems and crew module uprighting system were added to the crew module and it was dispatched for further integration.Systems checkThough the uncrewed mission is yet to take off, several tests and qualifications of systems and materials have been completed. Various motors of the crew escape system — the high altitude motor, low altitude motor and jettisoning motor — have been tested.The system has been designed to remove the crew safely from the crew module in case of an emergency. The Crew Module Thermal Protection System has also undergone testing. So has the 10-parachute system that will be responsible for slowing down and safely bringing down the astronauts for a smooth splashdown. The space agency carried out the integrated air drop test to check the entire parachute system as well as several other tests for four different types of parachutes under normal as well as extreme situations.Story continues below this adThe HRCB, responsible for overseeing the safety of various systems, also certified several articles to be carried by the astronauts such as emergency survival kit (ESK), food and stowage container and dosimeter. The space agency, along with its collaborators, also conducted the first of the several planned Gaganyaan Analog Experiments (Gyanex) missions this year.The space agency has also completed tests to check the performance of the half-humanoid robot, the communications system on the crew module, on-board computer of the service module in the vibrations felt during the launch and the cold and vacuum of space.The calendarInitially there were three missions planned under the Gaganyaan programme — two uncrewed and one crewed — which was later expanded in 2024. Under the revised programme there will be eight missions — two crewed and six uncrewed. The eight missions will also include setting up of the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, initially meant for 2028. As per the current timeline, the first uncrewed mission is scheduled for the first quarter of this year; the first crewed mission is likely to happen only by late 2027 or early 2028, meaning the rest of the missions will be further delayed.The space agency has again set a very ambitious calendar — planning at least six missions, including the first uncrewed flight for the first quarter of the year. There will also be the launch of the first PLSV manufactured completely by the industry carrying an earth observation satellite, the launch of two other earth observation satellites using a PSLV and a GSLV, a technology demonstration satellite carried by a PSLV, and a commercial mission using the smallest SSLV.Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... 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