Gaganyaan test flight delay: Will it stall India's first human spaceflight launch?

📌 Summary:

• ISRO chairman V Narayanan indicated the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight may slip to Q3 (third quarter) of 2027, which could push the maiden crewed human spaceflight to 2028 (against the earlier 2027-end target)
• He stressed efforts continue for a launch attempt by end-2026; the timeline is under constant review and will be decided on the basis of progress
• Three uncrewed missions are planned before the crewed flight; the Gaganyaan "continuation programme" (additional uncrewed plus crewed missions) has now been approved by the government — earlier only the uncrewed missions and one crewed mission were sanctioned
• Human safety is the central priority for the human-rated rocket, including crew-escape capability if the rocket fails
• Indian scientists flagged a minor leak on the SpaceX rocket carrying astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (Axiom-4, June 2025) and insisted the launch be halted; a crack in a mainline was found and fixed, and the launch shifted to June 25, 2025
• Recent setbacks acknowledged: two successive PSLV failures (2025 and 2026) and NavIC reduced to three satellites against an optimum of four

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Science & Technology — India's human spaceflight programme, indigenisation, and the achievements/challenges of ISRO.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Gaganyaan is India's first human spaceflight programme; three uncrewed missions are planned before the crewed flight
• Axiom-4 (June 2025) took Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket
• NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is India's regional satellite navigation system; it needs four satellites optimally but is currently down to three
• PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle

🔑 Key Term: Human-rated rocket — a launch vehicle certified safe to carry humans, equipped with crew-escape systems for failure scenarios.