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Gaganyaan
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<p>Gaganyaan is an Indian <a href="/facts/List_of_crewed_spacecraft/5KdUINyn">crewed orbital spacecraft</a> intended to be the formative spacecraft of the <a href="/facts/Indian_Human_Spaceflight_Programme/1dmrx2L8">Indian Human Spaceflight Programme</a>. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Spacecraft/YQqQaUw0">spacecraft</a> is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capabilities. In its maiden crewed mission, the <a href="/facts/ISRO/CdAoFQTL">Indian Space Research Organisation</a> (ISRO)'s largely autonomous 5.3-<a href="/facts/Tonne/gMymLmWv">metric tonne</a> capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days with a two- or three-person crew on board. The first crewed mission was originally planned to be launched on ISRO's <a href="/facts/LVM3/BHqVWNrW">HLVM3</a> rocket in December 2021. As of November 2024, it is expected to be launched no earlier than 2026. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Hindustan_Aeronautics_Limited/7a7nXyXQ">Hindustan Aeronautics Limited</a> (HAL)-manufactured crew module underwent its first uncrewed experimental flight on 18 December 2014. As of May 2019, design of the crew module has been completed. The <a href="/facts/Defence_Research_and_Development_Organisation/HYTLS49D">Defence Research and Development Organisation</a> (DRDO) will provide support for critical human-centric systems and technologies such as space-grade food, crew healthcare, radiation measurement and protection, parachutes for the safe recovery of the crew module, and the fire suppression system. </p><p>The Gaganyaan Mission will be led by <a href="/facts/V._R._Lalithambika/mewg11wI">V. R. Lalithambika</a>, the former Director of the Directorate of the Human Spaceflight Programme with ISRO Chairman <a href="/facts/S._Somanath/YmuKeKjA">S Somnath</a> and <a href="/facts/S._Unnikrishnan_Nair/7zNoK08x">S. Unnikrishnan Nair</a>, Director of <a href="/facts/Vikram_Sarabhai_Space_Centre/JgTQyToP">Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre</a>. Imtiaz Ali Khan superseded V. R. Lalithambika as the Director of the Directorate of Human Spaceflight Programme. </p>