Overview

• ISRO chief V. Narayanan said the December flight will carry the half-humanoid Vyommitra in place of a human to test spacecraft functions.
• Narayanan added that two additional uncrewed missions are planned for next year, pending a successful first flight.
• He said India is targeting a crewed Gaganyaan launch by the first quarter of 2027, with astronauts already selected and trained.
• ISRO reported completing the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) to demonstrate the parachute-based deceleration system with the IAF, DRDO, Navy and Coast Guard.
• Union minister Jitendra Singh stated that development and ground testing of the human-rated LVM3 are complete, alongside tested propulsion systems, an ECLSS engineering model and validated Crew Escape motors, with facilities and launch-pad upgrades in place.