Produced by: Tarun Mishra
India is preparing for a critical test of its Gaganyaan crew vehicle, with plans to launch the uncrewed mission by the end of 2024, marking a significant step toward human spaceflight.
Rocket components for the Gaganyaan test flight have reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota island. This hardware includes stages of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), India's heaviest rocket.
The crew module and service module are currently being integrated at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and U R Rao Satellite Centre, respectively. These modules are crucial for the upcoming uncrewed test flight.
ISRO Chairman S Somanath announced that all systems are expected to be in place at the launch site within the next one and a half months, with the test launch scheduled for December 2024.
The G1 mission will test critical systems needed for crewed spaceflight, including the modified rocket, crew and service modules, reentry procedures, parachute deployment, and a splashdown in the Bay of Bengal.
Though the G1 mission will be uncrewed, it will carry a humanoid robot named Vyomitra to assist in verifying the spacecraft's systems and ensure safety protocols for future human missions.
Following the G1 test, two more uncrewed missions, G2 and G3, are planned for 2025. If successful, these will pave the way for India’s first crewed mission, H1, which will take astronauts into low Earth orbit.