Gaganyaan is set to launch before Independence Day, according to ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's space agency, stated on Monday that the first of two planned uncrewed flights under the Gaganyaan mission will be launched before Independence Day this year, while the third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 will be launched by "middle of next year."

"If you look at the immediate task at hand this year, we have many missions to execute. Some of these are launch of EOS-4 and EOS-6 on board PSLV. Launch of EOS-02 on board maiden flight of SSLV. Many test flights for Crew Escape System of Gaganyaan and Launch of the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan. In addition, we also have Chandrayaan-03, Aditya Ll, XpoSat, IRNSS and technology demonstration missions with advanced indigenously developed technologies on-board," Sivan said in the letter encouraging the scientists at the organisation, posted on the agency's website.

There is a directive to launch the first unmanned mission before India's 75th independence anniversary (August 15, 2022), and all stakeholders are working hard to meet that deadline. In the letter, Sivan stated, "I am certain that we will be able to meet this aim."

The chairperson also gave updates on the most anticipated missions. "Chandrayaan-3 design changes incorporating and testing has seen huge progress. The mission could be launched by middle of next year," he said.

For several months, the launch of the three earth observation satellites – EOS-02, EOS-04, and EOS-06 – has been postponed. When the launch plan was changed following the second wave of the epidemic, all big-ticket scientific missions were put back, including India's first solar mission, Aditya-L1.

"All indicators point towards the next imminent wave. All of us have to prepared and protect ourselves both at the personnel level as well as at the institutional level to safeguard the ongoing programmes and activities," he said in his message.