India Delays First Manned Space Mission 'Gaganyaan' to 2026 for Safety

India's 'Gaganyaan' project, aimed at its first manned spaceflight, has been postponed from 2025 to 2026.

At a press conference, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath explained the delay, citing the need for a cautious approach to ensure astronaut safety and mission success.

India's Manned Spaceflight Challenge: The Gaganyaan Project

The Gaganyaan mission comprises a plan of four flights.

From 2024 to 2025, a total of three unmanned capsule launch tests are planned, aiming to verify the safety and technical capabilities of the capsule that will carry astronauts.

Finally, in 2025, the mission aims to send three Indian astronauts aboard a manned capsule into orbit approximately 400 km above Earth, where they will remain for three days, conduct various scientific experiments, and safely return.

However, due to development delays, even the first unmanned flight has yet to be conducted. Consequently, ISRO has announced that it will review the overall project timeline and adjust the mission target year to prioritize safety.

Rescheduling Despite Safety Test Success

In October 2023, an emergency escape test for the astronaut capsule developed for the Gaganyaan mission was successfully completed.

This test was a critical experiment to ensure that astronauts could safely evacuate the capsule in the event of an emergency.

However, delays in the development of major hardware components have prevented the first unmanned flight, initially scheduled for 2024, from proceeding as planned.

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India Delays First Manned Space Mission 'Gaganyaan' to 2026 for Safety