India is on the cusp of a monumental achievement in space exploration. V. Narayanan, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced on Thursday, October 23, 2025, that the Gaganyaan mission is now approximately 90% complete. This significant milestone brings India closer to sending its own astronauts into orbit.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Mr. Narayanan detailed the extensive technological advancements required for this complex endeavor. He highlighted the need for a human-rated rocket, a robust life support system, a reliable crew escape mechanism, and various human-centric products crucial for astronaut safety and comfort. “The Gaganyaan mission is progressing exceptionally well,” he affirmed, reiterating the 90% development completion.
The Chairman confirmed that the eagerly anticipated crewed mission, which will carry Indian astronauts into space, is slated for 2027. Before this historic flight, ISRO plans to conduct three vital uncrewed missions to thoroughly test the systems. The first of these uncrewed test flights, featuring the advanced humanoid Vyomitra, is expected to launch by the end of this year.
The Gaganyaan project’s core objective is to showcase India’s human spaceflight capability. It envisions launching a three-member crew into an orbit 400 kilometers above Earth for a three-day mission. Upon successful completion, the crew will safely return to Earth, landing in Indian sea waters.
In other significant updates, Mr. Narayanan provided an encouraging status report on the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, which was launched on July 30, 2025. He stated that the satellite is in excellent health and is expected to be declared fully operational within the next 10-15 days.
NISAR Satellite: A Window to Earth’s Dynamics
“Initial reports confirm the satellite is entirely healthy, and both its sophisticated payloads are functioning perfectly,” Mr. Narayanan shared. NISAR represents a groundbreaking collaboration, being the first satellite to meticulously observe Earth using a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). It incorporates NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band, both utilizing NASA’s impressive 12-meter unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, seamlessly integrated with ISRO’s modified I3K satellite bus.
This state-of-the-art NISAR satellite is designed to conduct comprehensive scans of Earth, delivering all-weather, day-and-night data at regular 12-day intervals. This rich dataset will enable a diverse array of applications, from monitoring environmental changes to aiding disaster management.
Addressing the NVS-02 Satellite Glitch
Addressing a technical challenge, the ISRO Chairman also commented on the NVS-02 satellite, which encountered a glitch preventing its intended orbit-raising operations due to a valve malfunction. He confirmed that the failure analysis committee has thoroughly investigated the incident and pinpointed the exact fault. The committee’s recommendations will now be presented to the Government for further action.