The ISRO-NASA mission aimed at sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is facing significant budget cuts, as outlined in a recent report by a Parliamentary panel.

The Department of Space has attributed this reduction to the deferral of the mission to the next fiscal year, resulting in a budget allocation for 2025-26 that is merely one-sixth of what was initially planned for 2024-25.

In the current fiscal year, the Gaganyaan program, which encompasses this astronaut mission, has seen a budget cut exceeding ₹350 crore.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology noted that the budget earmarked for sending an astronaut was reduced from ₹715 crore to ₹412 crore during the revised estimate stage. For 2025-26, this allocation has been drastically slashed to ₹135 crore, highlighting ongoing delays in program milestones and hardware realisation.

The Gaganyaan initiative aims to send its first crewed mission into space, with two Indian Air Force officers already trained for the Axiom Mission-4.

However, the committee expressed concerns regarding further delays in collaboration with NASA and underscored the need for stable international engagement to ensure mission success.

Overall, while the Department of Space's total budget for 2025-26 is projected at ₹13,416.20 crore—down from a requested ₹15,983.37 crore—the substantial cuts to specific missions like Gaganyaan raise questions about India's capacity to meet its ambitious space exploration goals.

The committee has urged for predictable financial allocations to maintain timelines and support future initiatives effectively.

Agencies