India has stepped up its human spaceflight plans, aiming to land Indian astronauts on the Moon by 2027, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said in Ahmedabad. He announced the 74th annual convocation of Gujarat University, where he outlined India’s future space mission roadmap.
Dr Narayanan said the proposed Moon mission will focus on developing a spacecraft capable of safely carrying humans to the lunar surface and bringing them back to Earth. This goal is part of a broader long-term plan that includes expanding human missions in low Earth orbit, faster spacecraft production, robotic missions, and upgraded launch infrastructure.
A key pillar of this effort is the Gaganyaan programme, India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, the project is now in a crucial testing phase. ISRO has scheduled multiple uncrewed missions in 2025 and 2026 to validate critical systems.
The first uncrewed orbital test flight, planned for December 2025, will carry a humanoid robot named Vyomitra to simulate human conditions. Two more uncrewed missions will follow in 2026.
These missions will test life support, communication, re-entry systems, and the LVM3 launch vehicle. After successful tests, ISRO plans its first crewed mission.
