Explained

Gaganyaan: India's Human Spaceflight Mission

From the 2018 announcement to the planned 2026 crewed launch, India's Gaganyaan mission has navigated technology development, pad abort tests, unmanned flight trials, and the Vyommitra robot astronaut programme.

April 2, 2026·The Breakdown Desk·5 min read

First human spaceflight mission by ISRO — crew of 3 to 400 km LEO orbit for 3-7 days
HLVM3 (human-rated LVM3) with crew escape system successfully test-flown in 2025
Vyommitra — a half-humanoid robot — performed two uncrewed spaceflights to validate life support
Four IAF fighter pilots selected as astronaut-designates, training completed at ISRO's Bengaluru facility and Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre
Target date: Q4 2026 for first crewed Gaganyaan mission, with subsequent missions planned annually
Total mission cost estimated at ₹9,023 crore across all development and flight phases

Quick Facts

Launch Vehicle

HLVM3 (Human-rated LVM3)

Source: ISRO

Crew Capacity

3 astronauts

Source: ISRO

Orbit

400 km Low Earth Orbit

Source: ISRO

Mission Duration

3-7 days

Source: ISRO

Crew Module Mass

3,735 kg

Source: ISRO

Splashdown Target

Arabian Sea, off Gujarat coast

Source: ISRO

Mission Cost

₹9,023 Cr

Source: Union Budget

What's Next

Q2 2026

Gaganyaan TV-D2: second pad abort test with upgraded crew escape system

Confirmed probability

Q3 2026

G1: uncrewed orbital flight of full Gaganyaan stack with Vyommitra

Confirmed probability

Q4 2026

H1: first crewed Gaganyaan mission — 3 astronauts, 3-7 day mission

High probability

2027

Gaganyaan-2: second crewed mission with longer duration (14-30 days)

Medium probability

2028+

Joint Indo-Russian human spaceflight; India module on international space station

Low probability

Gaganyaan: India's Human Spaceflight Mission

Executive Summary

Quick Facts

What's Next

Gaganyaan: India's Human Spaceflight Mission

Executive Summary

Quick Facts

What's Next