Bengaluru, August 21: India’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, will take a major step forward in December with the launch of its first uncrewed mission, G1, carrying the half-humanoid robot Vyommitra, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced on Thursday.
Vyommitra, a female humanoid, has been developed to simulate astronaut functions by monitoring module parameters, issuing alerts, and operating life support systems. “In the fourth quarter of this year, the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan-G1 will be launched,” Narayanan said, adding that trial sorties for an integrated air-drop test of the crew capsule are already underway. The capsule will be dropped from 3.5 to 4 km using a helicopter.
So far, ISRO has conducted more than 7,700 ground tests related to Gaganyaan, with another 2,300 targeted before March 2026. Critical safety systems, including motors for the crew escape system, have also been developed and tested.
Key infrastructure for the mission is already in place, including an Orbital Module Preparation facility, Gaganyaan Control Centre, crew training centre, environmental control and life support systems, a parachute-based deceleration system, and modifications at the second launch pad.
“Flight integration activities for various propulsion stages of the LVM3 launch vehicle have been completed, and the launch campaign has commenced. Crew module and service module mechanical and electrical integration activities are underway,” ISRO officials said. Further steps include Orbital Module integration, thermovac tests, dynamic and acoustic evaluations, and final launch complex checks such as propellant filling and integrated systems verification.
A high-level review committee of the Department of Space is overseeing progress toward the human spaceflight mission.
Narayanan also said ISRO will carry out five launches this year and four in 2026. Upcoming missions include Oceansat-3A, crucial for marine resource management, phytoplankton biodiversity and algal bloom detection; Navigation satellite NVS-03, which will strengthen regional navigation services; and TDS-01, a communication satellite for testing electric propulsion and other advanced technologies.
Additionally, ISRO will launch BlueBird Block 2, a communication satellite of the US, as part of its commercial commitments.
