Gaganyaan Mission Delayed: India’s First Astronaut Launch Now Scheduled for 2026 | Here's Why

New Delhi: India's highly anticipated Gaganyaan mission, set to mark country's first crewed journey to , has been rescheduled to sooner than 2026. delay, moving mission roughly a year past original 2025 target, comes as Indian Research Organisation ( ISRO ) embarks on a series of careful preparations. first uncrewed flight test, Gaganyaan 1 (G1), is scheduled for December this year, with Gaganyaan 2 (G2) anticipated in 2025.

Speaking at Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture on Delhi Aakashvani, ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath emphasized mission's complexity, ting that ISRO is prioritizing astronaut safety and rigorous techlogy development to ensure success. "re are complex systems in Gaganyaan program," Somanath stated. "We are developing each one of m through a systematic process."

Steady Progress Amid Technical and Logistical Hurdles

Gaganyaan mission, a critical milestone for India's ambitions, has faced several challenges, including those posed by COVID-19 pandemic. During pandemic, ISRO redirected resources, such as oxygen supplies, to aid India’s healthcare system, delaying mission’s original 2022 target by years. Additional funding of approximately ₹111 billion (US $1.32 billion) has been allocated to support mission’s enhanced requirements.

Unmanned missions G1 and G2 will rigorously test mission components, including crew and service modules, reentry capabilities, and splashdown recovery in Bay of Bengal. se trials, vital for validating mission safety and reliability, will feature a humaid robot, Vyomitra, in G1 to simulate human conditions in orbit.

India’s Path to Join Elite League

With a successful crewed launch, India will join United States, Russia, and China as only nations to have independently sent humans to . upcoming H1 mission, targeting low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 400 km, aims to carry one to three astronauts for a three-day journey, showcasing India's prowess in human flight capabilities.

Among astronauts preparing for this historic mission are IAF Group Captains Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Ajith Krishnan, and Subhanshu Shukla. Shukla, who has been training with Axiom in Houston, Texas, will also participate in a separate mission to International Station, gaining crucial experience in craft navigation and docking.