Gaganyaan Mission: Launch Date, Cost, Timeline, And Other Details

ISRO's Gaganyaan will be launched at the end of 2023 or in 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

The Union Minister said that India plans to launch an unmanned mission and send a female robot in the first and second missions, respectively, preceding the Gaganyaan human space-flight programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Gaganyaan mission in his Independence Day address in 2018. Here's all you need to know:

Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters, according to ISRO.

Jitendra Singh said that the first mission will be totally unmanned and after that India will send a female robot in the second one.

"The main Gaganyaan will be launched at the end of 2023 or in 2024," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said during a media interaction.

Jitendra Singh said the department had thought Gaganyaan would be launched within 75 years of India’s independence “but it was delayed for two years due to Covid," PTI reported.

“Some of the astronauts were being given training at a Russian institute. They had to come back. The two-stage training is now complete,” he added.

The total cost of the Gaganyaan Programme - Approximately Rs 9023 crores.

LVM3 rocket is identified as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission, as per ISRO.

The "reliable heavy lift" launcher of ISRO consists of solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage. HLVM3 will be capable of launching the Orbital Module to an intended Low Earth Orbit of 400 km.