India's Gaganyaan uncrewed mission likely to launch by year-end, says ISRO chief

V Narayanan, the ISRO chief, said that 'vigorous, systematic work' is underway for the maiden uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, with a target launch window sometime before year-end. The statement was made following the successful deployment of the GSLV-F17/EOS-05 satellite, marking ISRO's first major achievement in the current financial year.

Narayanan described the earth observation satellite launch as a 'reward for hard work,' emphasizing that the momentum generated would fuel continued efforts on the crewed spaceflight programme. The ISRO chief noted that the space agency is working in close coordination with industry partners and other organisations to meet the tight schedule for the Gaganyaan uncrewed test mission.

Beyond Gaganyaan, ISRO has set an ambitious agenda for the financial year, with six additional launches planned. These include the deployment of the navigation satellite NVS-03, as ISRO seeks to expand India's indigenous space capabilities across multiple domains. Narayanan also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for supporting the agency's expansion plans.

The EOS-05 earth observation satellite, launched Friday, carries a nine-year operational lifespan and will provide valuable data for India's resource monitoring and disaster management initiatives, the ISRO chief added.