India's first manned space mission may be postponed to 2028

A historic step within India's national space program — the Gaganyaan mission — is facing unexpected delays. According to V. Narayanan, head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the plan to launch the country's first astronauts into orbit is likely to be pushed back to at least 2028. For India, this project is not only a technological achievement but a strategic step toward securing a firm place among the world's space powers. This is reported by Ixbt.com news says.

According to initial plans, ISRO aimed to send the first Indian astronauts into space by the end of 2027. However, a recent presentation in Bangalore revealed that the mission schedule has been revised. The updated timeline indicates that the first of three planned unmanned test flights will not take place before the third quarter of 2027. This naturally pushes the manned flight to subsequent years.

Safety issues and technical complexities

Explaining the project's delay, V. Narayanan emphasized that the primary focus is on crew safety. The Gaganyaan program is an extremely complex technological project, requiring the development of a human-certified rocket and crew escape systems from scratch. The ISRO head stated that given any malfunction could risk human life, the flight will not proceed until all systems are fully ready.

The Gaganyaan program is India's first project to independently launch humans into space. The government has already approved the expansion of the program, which will include not only test flights but also long-term orbital missions. Currently, engineers are working on testing all systems, especially life-support modules, through unmanned flights.

Collaboration with SpaceX and the determination of Indian specialists

In his speech, the ISRO head also touched upon the international prestige of Indian specialists. Specifically, an interesting incident occurred during the preparation for Axiom Mission 4, involving Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX craft in June 2025. Indian experts demanded the flight be halted after a leak was detected in the rocket system.

Interestingly, SpaceX specialists initially considered this issue insignificant. However, due to the firm insistence of V. Narayanan and D. K. Singh, Director of India's manned flight center, the flight was moved from June 11 to June 25. Subsequent inspections revealed a crack in one of the rocket's main pipes. This incident proved that the level of training of the Indian space school and its specialists is on par with global standards.

Nevertheless, India's internal space program is not without problems. Two consecutive failed launches of PSLV carriers, considered the country's primary workhorse rockets, in 2025 and 2026 have slightly set the sector back. ISRO management stated that the causes of these accidents have been fully identified, and work is currently underway to return the rockets to operation. Despite all obstacles, the Gaganyaan project remains India's highest priority in space.