Tech Desk 
Aug 28, 2024
India is preparing for a major test flight of its Gaganyaan crew vehicle by the end of 2024, which would be a crucial moment in the human spaceflight programme. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that the rocket hardware for the uncrewed test flight has been delivered to Satish Dhawan Space Centre and a December launch is planned.
As per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement made in 2018, the Gaganyaan programme seeks to make India fourth nation with independent human spaceflight capabilities.
The upcoming demonstration flight G1 would thus test all systems for the full crewed mission including rockets, crew modules and service modules, reentry, parachute deployment, and splashdown in Bay of Bengal.
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ISRO Chairman S Somanath revealed that the crew module and service module for the uncrewed flight are undergoing integration at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and U R Rao Satellite Centre, respectively. "All systems would reach Sriharikota in one and a half months, and the launch would be in December," Somanath said.
The G1 mission would carry the "Vyomitra" humanoid robot to help verify systems. Two further uncrewed test missions, G2 and G3, are expected to follow in 2025.
If those trials are successful, the first crewed flight, called H1, would carry astronauts into low Earth orbit for the first time. ISRO has shortlisted four "astronaut-designates" for the mission.
