NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha today that India's first human space mission, ‘Gaganyaan', is scheduled to be launched in 2027, most likely in the first quarter of the year. He made this announcement while responding to a query to an answer given by him in the Parliament.

The Gaganyaan Programme, being implemented by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of Indian astronauts into Low Earth Orbit and ensuring their safe return.

According to the Minister incharge Space, the Gaganyaan Programme has achieved several key milestones. The Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) has completed development and ground testing. Propulsion systems for both the Crew and Service Modules, along with the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) engineering model, have been developed and tested. Five types of Crew Escape System (CES) motors have been successfully developed and static tested.

The Minister further informed that the critical infrastructure has also been established, including the Orbital Module Preparation Facility, Gaganyaan Control Centre and Control Facility, Crew Training Facility, and modifications to the Second Launch Pad. A test vehicle developed to validate the CES was successfully flight-tested during the TV-D1 mission. The ground network for flight operations and communication has been finalized, with IDRSS-1 feeder stations and terrestrial communication links established. Additionally, recovery assets have been identified and a comprehensive crew recovery plan has been formulated.

Dr Jitendra Singh further stated that the first uncrewed mission (G1) is progressing well. The C32-G stage and CES motors have been realized. The HS200 motors and CES Fore-end, up to the Crew Module Jettisoning Motor, have been stacked. The structures for the Crew Module and Service Module have been realized, and Phase-1 checks on the Crew Module have been completed.

Dr. Singh informed the Parliament that ISRO has selected the first batch of astronauts from a pool of qualified test pilots from the Indian Air Force. These four astronauts hail from various states, including Uttar Pradesh. They successfully underwent generic spaceflight training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) in Russia between February 2020 and March 2021. They are currently undergoing Gaganyaan mission-specific training at the Astronaut Training Facility (ATF) in Bengaluru. This training is structured in three semesters, two of which have already been successfully completed, with the third semester commencing shortly.

Reaffirming Gaganyaan as the first step toward establishing a sustained human spaceflight programme for India, Dr. Singh emphasized that following the success of Gaganyaan, India will set up its own space station-Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). BAS will serve as a platform for advancing national capabilities in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, health, and agriculture, while also enabling global collaborations with other space agencies as a contributing partner.

Highlighting efforts to strengthen India's space programme, Dr. Singh listed key satellites scheduled for launch:

NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar): A joint mission with NASA to study land and ice deformation, ecosystems, woody biomass, crop extent, wetlands, sea ice, and tectonic activity.

Oceansat-3A: To ensure continuity of ocean colour and wind vector data, with added sea surface temperature and additional spectral bands.

NVS-03: The third satellite in the second-generation NavIC constellation for regional navigation services.

TDS-01: A technology demonstration satellite to test electric propulsion, quantum communication payloads, and indigenous technologies.

GSAT-7R: Designed to provide redundancy and enhanced maritime services, ensuring continuity and expansion of GSAT-7 capabilities.

The data and applications from these missions are intended to support key sectors such as agriculture, weather prediction, climate change, secure communication, navigation, oceanography, and other national missions.

Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that ISRO has signed cooperative agreements with 61 countries and five multilateral bodies. Collaborative efforts include joint missions, accommodating foreign payloads on Indian satellites, establishing ground stations abroad, and exchanging expertise and data.

Major ongoing collaborations include:

NISAR, launching from SDSC SHAR aboard GSLV on July 30, 2025.

G20 Satellite Mission for Environment and Climate Observation, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a highlight of India's G20 presidency.

LuPEX/Chandrayaan-5, a joint lunar mission with Japan's JAXA.

Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), which will include payloads from Russia and Sweden.

On the academic front, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), which offers UG and PG programmes in space sciences. IIST also participates in international collaborations for faculty and student exchanges.

These international and academic partnerships aim to enhance India's space capabilities, expand earth observation databases, widen ground station networks, improve products and services, and create opportunities for global expertise sharing.

Space Applications in Agriculture, Disaster Management, and Climate Monitoring

In reply to similar other Space related questions in the same House, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the growing role of satellite data in diverse sectors.

Agriculture: Monitoring crop health, estimating irrigation needs, post-kharif land use assessment, soil analysis, and fertilizer recommendations. Satellite-based agro-met products aid farmers in timely decision-making.

Drought Monitoring: The National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS), developed with ISRO, uses satellite data for drought forecasting and agricultural planning.

Weather Forecasting: Space inputs support weather models run by IMD and NCMWRF, using satellite data from Oceansat and INSAT series to improve accuracy, especially for extreme weather events.

Disaster Management: Satellite data is vital for real-time monitoring and post-event assessment of floods, cyclones, landslides, earthquakes, and forest fires.

Flood mapping and monitoring are carried out in about 15 states annually.

Historical data has been used to develop Flood Hazard Zonation Atlases and a nationwide Flood Affected Area Atlas.

Early warning systems are operational for rivers like Godavari and Tapi since 2022.

Landslides: High-resolution satellite imagery helps assess damage and compile vulnerability atlases.

Forest Fires: Monitoring is conducted using satellite data, with alerts shared with state and district forest departments.

These space-based inputs are shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), NDMA, state disaster management authorities, NDRF, CWC, FSI, GSI, and other relevant bodies.