At 9:00 AM IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India joined an elite club of spacefaring nations.
Gaganyaan — India’s first crewed space mission — lifted off aboard a modified LVM3 rocket and carried three Indian Air Force astronauts into low Earth orbit, making India only the fourth country in history to independently send humans to space.
The Crew
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair | Commander |
| Group Captain Ajit Krishnan | Mission Pilot |
| Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla | Mission Specialist |
The Mission Profile
- Orbit Earth at 400 km altitude for 3 days
- Conduct microgravity experiments in biology, materials science, and fluid physics
- Test life support, crew module systems, and re-entry technology
- Splashdown in the Bay of Bengal
Why This Matters
Gaganyaan is the foundation of India’s long-term human spaceflight programme, which includes a planned Indian Space Station by 2035 and a crewed lunar mission by 2040.
Over 80% of Gaganyaan components were built in India by 140 domestic companies, including HAL, BHEL, ECIL, and L&T.
“Today, every Indian child who has looked at the stars and dreamed has a reason to believe their dream is possible.” — Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, ISRO
What’s Next
- Gaganyaan-2 (2027): Extended 7-day mission with a female astronaut crew member
- Bharatiya Space Station: Module launches beginning 2028
- Crewed lunar landing: Target 2040