India’s first astronaut to live and work on the International Space Station, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, shared new insights into the country’s ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.
Speaking at the India International Space Conclave 2025 in New Delhi, he outlined the mission’s upcoming milestones and the broader vision behind India’s space goals.
Shubhanshu Shukla share update on Gaganyaan Mission launch
“Gaganyaan is a developmental program. Since my return, we are using my experiences as a template to compare what we did earlier with what I experienced,” he said. “All systems are being revised, and debrief is underway.”
He confirmed that India is aiming for an early launch next year for G1 (uncrewed), followed by the H1 (crewed) launch in 2027.
Shares personal experience
Shubhanshu Shukla also reflected on his personal experience in space, describing the moment he crossed the Karman line, the boundary marking the edge of space. “When you cross the Karman line, you get a number. I was the 634th human to be in space.
That number didn’t feel significant until I returned and met students in India who said they didn’t know much about the International Space Station until I went. That’s when I realized the meaning of that experience; it inspires young minds to dream.”
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