India is making significant strides in space exploration, with a major announcement from Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. He revealed that India aims to establish its own space station, named the Indian Space Station, by 2035. Additionally, efforts are underway to land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
In a related development, Singh stated that India plans to launch its first unmanned mission by the end of this year as part of the Gaganyaan program, which focuses on crewed space missions. The first unmanned mission is scheduled for late 2024, with two more planned for the third quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
Rocket engines and crew rescue systems have already arrived at the Sriharikota launch site. Training for Indian astronauts is progressing, with two out of three training sessions completed. The first crewed mission is projected for the fourth quarter of 2026, following astronaut training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
The Gaganyaan program aims to facilitate human spaceflight to low Earth orbit and establish the necessary technologies for future space exploration by India.