ISRO Gears Up for Uncrewed Gaganyaan Mission, Says Chairman Narayanan

On Friday, after the GSLV‑F17 rocket lofted the earth‑observation satellite EOS‑05 into a sun‑synchronous orbit, ISRO chairman V Narayanan turned the spotlight on India’s next big step – the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission. Speaking to reporters at Sriharikota, he said the team is working on the mission “very vigorously and systematically” and aims to see the launch happen within the current calendar year.

“The launch of EOS‑05 is the first success for ISRO in this financial year,” Narayanan noted, adding with a hint of a smile that the reward for hard work is “more work.” He emphasized that the satellite’s nine‑year operational life is meant for climate monitoring and resource management, brushing aside any speculation that it could be a spy satellite.

According to the chairman, the uncrewed Gaganyaan flight is a collaborative effort. ISRO scientists, engineers from partner industries and several research organisations are all pulling together, testing systems ranging from the crew module’s thermal protection to the launch vehicle’s guidance software. “We’ve tightened the schedule, run extra simulations, and double‑checked every bolt,” he said, before chuckling that “you never get a day off when you’re building a spacecraft.”

Narayanan also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, linking the space program’s momentum to the broader national vision. He announced that six more launches are pencilled in for the current fiscal year, including the navigation satellite NVS‑03, which will bolster India’s regional positioning network.

While the exact date for the uncrewed Gaganyaan launch remains under wraps, the ISRO chief reassured that the mission will proceed on schedule, provided all technical reviews stay green. “If everything goes as planned, we’ll be looking at a launch before the year ends,” he concluded, inviting the nation to watch the unfolding saga of India’s human‑spaceflight ambitions.