In a significant step towards India’s ambitious Gaganyaan project, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for the launch of its first unmanned mission, tentatively scheduled between March 1 and August 31, 2025. The mission, known as ‘Gaganyaan G1,’ will be conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The success of this mission will be crucial for the launch of Gaganyaan’s manned mission, slated for 2026, which will send four astronauts on a three-day journey to orbit Earth at an altitude of 400 km and return with a splashdown in Indian waters.

ISRO will deploy two observation ships, stationed in the Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, to monitor the unmanned mission. Each ship will carry eight ISRO scientists equipped with advanced tracking and communication tools, including a shipborne terminal (SBT), MV-SAT antennas, and other electronic equipment.

The ship in the North Atlantic Ocean will sail from New York to its observation point, 3,000 km away, over a two-week journey. Similarly, the Pacific Ocean team will reach its designated location, ensuring seamless support for the mission.

The ships will establish hybrid communication circuits with MOX-ISTRAC and SCC-ISTRAC in Bengaluru, ISRO’s key mission operations centers, which were instrumental in the success of Chandrayaan-3. Dynamic positioning systems will enable precise tracking during the three-day observation period, with cumulative tracking activities lasting approximately 15 hours.

The unmanned mission will test critical technologies, paving the way for the manned Gaganyaan mission. Four astronauts are currently undergoing intensive training for this historic voyage, which will mark India’s entry into an elite club of nations capable of human spaceflight.

With this project, ISRO is poised to make history, underscoring India’s growing prowess in space exploration and its commitment to achieving self-reliance in cutting-edge technology.