Gaganyaan mission: ISRO sets 1st uncrewed launch for 2026
ISRO is gearing up to launch the first uncrewed mission of its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program by March 2026.
The project, originally meant to celebrate India's 75th Independence anniversary in 2021, faced delays but now has a new timeline, with Prime Minister Modi having initially announced the country's big ambitions in space in 2018.
What's new and what's next
This upcoming mission will test essential tech like safe crew module recovery and low earth orbit insertion—think of it as a dress rehearsal before sending astronauts.
ISRO has already nailed key safety tests, including a splashdown system with 10 parachutes.
Plus, Gaganyaan has grown from three missions to eight (now featuring plans for an Indian space station), and six launches are lined up soon—so there's a lot more action coming up in India's space journey.