India’s crewed space program will fly this year, after missing 2022 and 2025 targets

India's crewed space program, known as Gaganyaan, is set to launch this year after missing its targets for 2022 and 2025. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has provided no further details on the schedule for future Gaganyaan missions since 2025 was passed without a launch. On the occasion of India's third National Space Day, ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan announced that testing of the rocket and crew module for Gaganyaan missions is almost complete, and the first of three test missions will take off this year.

The test flights will be conducted using ISRO's LVM3 launcher, which has been successfully used nine times before. The version of the LVM3 for Gaganyaan missions is rated for human use, thanks to a crew escape system equipped with solid-fuel motors designed to swiftly return the astronauts, known as Vyomanauts, to safety. The Gaganyaan crew module is designed to carry three Vyomanauts and remain in a 400km orbit for three days before returning to Indian waters.

ISRO has previously stated that it plans to launch a robot on at least one Gaganyaan test mission. However, it has not confirmed whether this plan will still proceed. The agency has also not disclosed the dates for the remaining test flights or the first crewed mission. If successful, India will become the fourth country to independently send astronauts into orbit, following Russia, the USA, and China.

Dr Narayanan and other officials have hinted at further initiatives, including the establishment of an Indian space station by 2035. They also mentioned the potential involvement of private space companies, possibly as manufacturers of the launchers used by ISRO. If India opts for this route, it would follow a similar approach to that of the USA, where NASA is responsible for the design and oversight of the vehicle, while other launches are contracted to commercial companies.

Japan, on the other hand, takes a different approach, defining specifications for its vehicles and contracting manufacturers like Mitsubishi, but running its missions under its own name.