India’s Gaganyaan mission is the country’s first human spaceflight programme, aiming to send Indian astronauts into space aboard an indigenously developed crew module. If successful, India will become the fourth nation after the U.S., Russia, and China to achieve human spaceflight capability.

On August 24, 2025, ISRO completed its first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1), where a dummy crew capsule weighing five tonnes was lifted by a Chinook helicopter and released mid-air. The parachutes deployed in sequence, ensuring a safe splashdown, a critical step for astronaut safety during re-entry.

The test also showcased joint efforts with the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and DRDO, highlighting the scale of the mission.

Gaganyaan’s roadmap includes uncrewed flights, astronaut training, and eventually sending humans into space. It also forms part of a larger vision: building India’s own space station by 2035 and a moon landing by 2040.