New Delhi: India’s first step toward sending humans into space will begin with a robot. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch Vyommitra, a half-humanoid, this December as part of its uncrewed Gaganyaan mission. The space agency is treating this flight as a dress rehearsal before astronauts, called Gaganyatris, are sent to orbit.
Since the early announcements of Gaganyaan, there has always been curiosity around how India will test its systems before putting humans onboard. Now it feels real. Vyommitra will take the seat where an astronaut would sit, and its job is to mimic human responses, operate panels, and help scientists understand how the mission hardware behaves in orbit.
Gaganyatri plans for 2027
Isro chief V Narayanan, speaking in Coimbatore, said, “Right now, we are in the advanced stage… This December, we plan to send the first uncrewed mission, which will include a half-humanoid called Vyommitra instead of a human being. Once this is successful, two more uncrewed missions will be completed next year.”
He added that by the first quarter of 2027, India is aiming to send its own astronaut, called a “Gaganyatri,” into space and bring them back safely. According to Narayanan, the crew has already been selected and has undergone training.
Key tests for Gaganyaan
In preparation, Isro has already carried out an important safety trial. The agency announced, “Isro successfully accomplishes first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) for end-to-end demonstration of parachute-based deceleration system for Gaganyaan missions. This test is a joint effort of Isro, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.”
This parachute system will play a vital role in slowing down the crew module when it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 8 km/s (28,800 kmph). Seeing that written down, the numbers feel staggering, but that’s the reality of spaceflight. Without a strong parachute and escape system, no astronaut can return safely.
Government update in Parliament
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that development and ground testing of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) has been completed. He said the propulsion systems for both the Crew Module and Service Module have been developed and tested, and facilities like the Gaganyaan Control Centre and crew training hub are now ready.
He also mentioned that the Crew Escape System, with five different types of motors, has been developed and tested. For anyone who remembers the Soyuz capsule incident back in 2018, these systems are lifesavers when things go wrong during launch.
The long-term space dream
The human spaceflight programme is not just about putting an astronaut in orbit once. The long-term roadmap includes the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and an Indian Moon landing by 2040. That is a vision that can transform India from being a spacefaring nation into a leader in human space exploration.
When I read this, it reminded me of how kids in school used to write essays about India having its own space station “one day.” It’s wild to realise that day is officially part of the plan now.
With Agency Inputs