ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission: 90% Complete, Crewed Launch by 2027
India’s ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission is nearly 90% complete, with ISRO targeting a crewed launch by early 2027, Chairman V Narayanan announced on Thursday.
Key Mission Progress
Speaking at the Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC-2025) sidelines in New Delhi, Narayanan confirmed the mission’s steady advancement. “The Gaganyaan mission is going very well,” he stated, highlighting critical developments including human-rated rockets, orbital modules, environmental control systems, crew escape mechanisms, parachute systems, and human-centric products.
Mission Roadmap
Three uncrewed missions must be completed before the historic crewed flight. “In the first uncrewed mission, Vyommitra is going to fly,” Narayanan revealed, referring to the humanoid robot astronaut. The space agency is working systematically toward the 2027 crewed mission target.
Recent Success: Integrated Air Drop Test
On August 24, 2025, ISRO successfully conducted the first integrated air drop test at Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This critical test validated the parachute-based deceleration system essential for crew module safety during splashdown.
Narayanan explained the test procedure: “We lifted off a simulated module using a helicopter to a height of around three kilometres above the Earth. Using nine parachutes, it was successfully splashed down.” The demonstration confirmed synchronized parachute deployment, a vital safety requirement for the actual mission.
