India Successfully Conducts Key Test for Gaganyaan Manned Space Mission Despite Initial Delay

Successful Gaganyaan test flight paves the way for future unmanned missions and comes closer to realizing India's first human space flight program slated for 2025, after overcoming initial technical challenges.

India successfully conducted a key test for its Gaganyaan manned space mission, overcoming initial challenges. The test involved launching a module to outer space and testing the spacecraft’s crew escape system - crucial for future manned missions.
Despite a 45-minute delay due to weather and further deferral due to an engine issue, the test was carried out successfully 75 minutes later from the Sriharikota satellite launching station.
The test is part of series of trials before launching a manned mission with three astronauts into low-Earth orbit, potentially in 2025. This mission, if successful, will send astronauts into an orbit of 400km and return them after three days.
The successful test paves the way for other unmanned missions, including sending a robot into space next year. If these missions proceed as planned, India will become only the fourth country to send a human into space after the Soviet Union, the US, and China.
ISRO Chief, S. Somanath, described the crew escape system (CES) as a critical system for the mission adding that in case of any malfunction with the rocket, the crew should be able to move at least 2km away to ensure their safety.
The ambitious Gaganyaan mission, developed at a cost of 90 billion rupees ($1bn; £897m), is part of India's increasing focus on space exploration, which included successful uncrewed landing near the Moon's south pole in August 2023 and launching its first observation mission to the Sun in September 2023.