Only Three Countries Have Successfully Launched Humans Into Space. A Fourth Is Set to Join Them: India

A new contender in the space race is ready to make its mark in the exclusive group of countries capable of sending astronauts into space independently.

Currently, only the U.S., Russia (the successor to the Soviet Union), and China possess this capability. With its ambitious Gaganyaan program, India is on the verge of joining this elite club.

A delayed ambition. Announced in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Gaganyaan program aimed for a launch in 2022 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. However, the program has experienced several delays.

Despite these setbacks, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has ramped up efforts. While the first manned mission is now scheduled for early 2027, ISRO recently confirmed that preparations are moving forward swiftly.

Roadmap. ISRO is preparing for three unmanned orbital missions of the Gaganyaan spacecraft before launching its first manned flights. The first mission, called G1, is scheduled for the end of 2025. It’ll carry a humanoid robot named Vyommitra, equipped with sensors to help prepare for future manned missions.

This will be succeeded by the G2 and G3 missions in 2026, which will also feature Vyommitra. If everything goes according to plan, the first manned mission, H1, will launch in the first quarter of 2027 aboard the HLVM3 rocket. This is a variant of the LVM3 adapted for crewed flights. The H2 mission will follow.

Astronauts. India has selected four astronauts for these historic missions: Indian Air Force pilots Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shubhanshu Shukla. They’ll first travel to the International Space Station on the Axiom 4 mission using a SpaceX spacecraft.

All four have undergone astronaut training in Russia. Shukla will first fly to the ISS aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the commercial Axiom 4 mission earlier this year.

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Ambitious plans. India also plans for its space exploration endeavors to extend beyond just sending astronauts into orbit. Following the first two manned missions, ISRO will carry out a fourth unmanned Gaganyaan mission, designated as G4. This mission aims to dock with the U.S. segment of the ISS using a docking system compatible with NASA’s standards.

This mission will serve as a proof-of-concept for the first module of India’s Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), with plans to launch this module into an ISS-like orbit in 2028. The first manned mission to the BAS, designated G5, is scheduled for 2029, with an ambitious goal of establishing a permanent Indian presence in low Earth orbit.

This will position India alongside China, which operates its own space station, and the member countries of the ISS, which is set to be retired in 2030.

Looking further ahead, India wants to land an astronaut on the lunar surface by 2040. To achieve this goal, the ISRO is developing a new-generation methane-powered rocket called the Next Generation Launch Vehicle. This rocket will include a variant capable of placing 70 tons into low Earth orbit.

Images | Niketh Vellanki | ISRO

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