Overview
- ISRO chairman V Narayanan said on Saturday that the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test could move to the third quarter of 2027 while an end‑2026 attempt remains possible if progress allows.
- A delay of the uncrewed test would make a crewed Gaganyaan mission in 2028 more likely than the previously discussed end‑2027 target.
- ISRO is basing timing on rigorous human‑rating checks, including validation of crew escape systems, rather than on calendar deadlines.
- The agency is addressing recent operational problems — two PSLV launcher failures in 2025–26 and a NavIC constellation reduced to three operational satellites — as part of its remediation work.
- The government has approved continuation of Gaganyaan, ISRO reports advances in propulsion such as a 20‑tonne cryogenic engine, and Indian teams’ intervention on Axiom Mission 4 is cited as evidence of growing operational competence.