India's Gaganyaan Mission On Track, First Uncrewed Flight Expected This Year
India's ambitious human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, is progressing firmly according to schedule, with the first uncrewed mission anticipated by the end of this year. Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh made this announcement, dispelling any speculation about delays following the recent failure of the PSLV-C62 mission.
Minister Addresses Concerns at RISE Conclave
During a media interaction at the sidelines of the Research, Industry, Startup and Entrepreneurship Conclave (RISE) in Chennai, Singh emphasized that the January 2026 failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C62) has not altered the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) launch plans. The space agency is scheduled to undertake a total of 18 missions in 2026, all of which remain on track.
"We have 18 launches in 2026. All flights are on schedule and not a single launch has been cancelled. This includes six private players, and none withdrew," Singh stated, responding to questions about potential postponements due to the PSLV setback. "ISRO's confidence is intact and credibility is intact."
Gaganyaan Timeline and Details
The uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, which will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra, is expected to launch before the conclusion of this year. This critical step will pave the way for the first crewed mission, which remains slated for 2027 as originally planned. Singh also confirmed that ISRO intends to relaunch the PSLV, which carried the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite along with 15 commercial satellites during the unsuccessful mission, by mid-2026.
Focus on Startup Ecosystem and Collaboration
Inaugurating the RISE Conclave, Singh urged the Tamil Nadu government to work in close coordination with the Centre to strengthen the state's startup ecosystem. Highlighting the significant growth of entrepreneurship across India, he noted that nearly two lakh startups are currently registered with the Centre, generating approximately 21 lakh jobs. This marks a dramatic increase from just 350 startups in 2014.
"Almost 50% of the startups come from smaller towns. Tamil Nadu alone has only 34,000 registered startups. We have a vibrant ecosystem here, but we are not exploiting our potential to the maximum," Singh remarked, calling for enhanced efforts to maximize opportunities.
Government and Industry Partnerships
The event also featured addresses by M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and N Kalaiselvi, Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. They highlighted the government's collaborative initiatives with academia and industry to accelerate the deployment of technologies developed in government-funded laboratories.
Key highlights from the conclave included the launch of a Centre of Excellence established by Larsen & Toubro in Kanchipuram and the exchange of umbrella Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and several academic institutions.
Purpose of the RISE Conclave
The two-day RISE Conclave was organized to provide a national platform aimed at strengthening partnerships among research institutions, industry, startups, and academia. Its primary goal is to promote the translation of research into scalable technologies, fostering innovation and economic growth across the country.
