The first test flight of Gaganyaan is expected to happen in December 2024, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath.
The three stages of the Gaganyaan rocket have arrived at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC, SHAR). The integration of the crew module is taking place at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, he told newspersons after the successful launch of India’s Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) into orbit.
All the systems for the Gaganyaan rocket - codenamed G1 - will reach SDSC in November this year and the target for the rocket flight is December, he said.
The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
The project is accomplished through an optimal strategy taking into account inhouse expertise, the experience of Indian industry, intellectual capabilities of Indian academia and research institutions, along with cutting-edge technologies available with international agencies.
The pre-requisites for the Gaganyaan mission include development of critical technologies including the human-rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space, the Life Support System to provide an earth-like environment for the crew in space, crew emergency escape provision and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery and rehabilitation of crew, according to information on the ISRO website.