(Image source from: ISRO)
India is set to launch its robotic space missions later this year, with plans for human spaceflights between 2026 and 2027, as stated by astronaut Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair on Friday. The Gaganyaan astronaut candidate and Kirti Chakra award recipient shared this information at the 4th Indian Defspace Symposium 2026 held in Delhi. Gaganyaan is a program by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) aimed at sending Indian astronauts into space and bringing them back safely to Earth. Air Commodore Nair mentioned that the missions will include multiple attempts and improvements and will tackle issues like avoiding space debris. Space debris includes non-working satellites and fragments of rockets that orbit the Earth at high speeds, creating a risk of crashing into manned spacecraft. He also mentioned that astronaut training consists of specific techniques to help prevent such accidents. The technology and systems created for these missions are developed in India, ensuring that they are not imported from other countries, as stated by Air Commodore Nair to guarantee that astronauts are fully prepared for the task.
He emphasized that the program consists of different phases, with each mission using what was learned from the last one before attempting a crewed flight. The chairman of Isro had previously mentioned that the unmanned missions would set the stage for eventually sending Indians into space, marking a significant achievement that would make India the fourth nation to send humans into orbit independently, after Russia, the United States, and China. Air Commodore Nair also encouraged Indian startups to think beyond just rockets and satellites and to invest in products focused on human needs in space. These products can include space suits, toilets designed for space, and the study of space psychology that looks at how the human mind reacts to the isolation and limited space during space travel. He pointed out that these types of products are just as vital for a successful human space mission as the rockets themselves.
