New Delhi: In a landmark stride toward India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to send a humanoid robot named Vyommitra into space by December 2025. This mission is a critical prelude to the highly anticipated Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space by March 2027.
Vyommitra, which means “Space Friend” in Sanskrit, will be placed inside a space capsule to simulate the human experience and assess the spacecraft’s systems in a real space environment. The objective is to ensure that life support, navigation, and communication systems function flawlessly ahead of the crewed mission.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that two additional uncrewed test flights are scheduled for 2026. These missions will build on the findings from Vyommitra’s flight, helping engineers fine-tune systems and protocols before astronauts are finally onboarded.
In addition to the Gaganyaan preparations, ISRO is also focusing on another major project—the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. Scheduled for July 30, the joint mission with NASA aims to revolutionize climate research and disaster management by providing detailed Earth observation data.
Together, the humanoid test flight and the NISAR satellite launch underscore ISRO’s dual commitment to advancing both space exploration and Earth sciences, setting the stage for a transformative chapter in India’s space journey.
