India's Gaganyaan program, which translates to "sky craft" in Hindi, is India's first human spaceflight mission. The program has been expanded to include the development and operation of a national space station, with the goal of launching a habitable space capsule into a 400 km (250-mile) orbit and ensuring its safe return to the Indian Ocean.

Revised Goals And Timeline

Original Plan The initial plan consisted of one crewed and two uncrewed flights. The program now includes two crewed and six uncrewed missions, with a deadline of 2028 for all eight missions. While there is no firm date for the first crewed mission, it is expected to launch no earlier than 2026. India ultimately wants to have an operational Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and an Indian crewed mission to the Moon by 2040 in Lunar and Space Station missions.

he program's budget has increased to ₹20,193 crores, from an initial approval of approximately ₹9,533.52 Crores.

The increased funding will address the programmatic requirements as per the revised scope, including new developments for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and precursor missions, as well as additional requirements to meet the ongoing Gaganyaan Program.

Delays

The mission was initially announced in 2019 with the goal of sending Indian astronauts into space by 2022. The mission has faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and additional safety measures. Delays have also been caused by a global shortage of space-grade electronic components, the need for additional test flights, astronaut safety checks, and modifications to the spacecraft’s design to ensure it remains within the rocket's payload capacity. The development of India's own life support system is also taking longer than expected.

If successful, India will become the fourth nation to conduct independent human spaceflight after the United States, Russia, and China.

Agencies