Shubhanshu Shukla says India is ready for Gaganyaan, ISRO targets December launch

ISRO is gearing up to launch its first uncrewed Gaganyaan test mission in December, a critical step toward sending Indians into space. The spacecraft will spend three days in low Earth orbit, testing key systems that will eventually carry astronauts.

The announcement came from Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of India’s astronaut trainees, during a recent media interaction. Highlighting the nation’s preparedness, he said, “We will have Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Station, and a series of missions planned. India even today looks saare jahan se accha as seen from Antriksh.”

Drawing from his experience aboard the Ax-4 mission, Shukla said spaceflight offered lessons that go beyond science. “I had never thought I would go to space, if I can do it, so can you all,” he said, reinforcing the mission’s inspirational value.

The test spacecraft will launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and re-enter safely after orbiting Earth. It will allow engineers to assess real-world stress factors like microgravity, launch load, radiation exposure, and heat during re-entry.

Ahead of the mission, ISRO will conduct an integrated drop test, in which the crew module will be released from height using parachutes to simulate landing. This will help refine recovery systems. A date for this drop test is yet to be announced.

Gaganyaan’s December flight is more than a technical milestone — it's the starting point for India’s long-term human spaceflight ambitions, including a national space station and a Moon mission by 2040. The four astronauts will resume training by October.