THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India's ambitious Gaganyaan manned space mission has been postponed to 2026, a delay from the previously scheduled launch in 2025. The specific reasons for this extension have not been disclosed.

During the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture on Delhi Aakashvani, ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath provided updates on the mission. As part of the Gaganyaan program, two unmanned test missions are set to precede the crewed launch. Gaganyaan 1 (G-1) is expected to be tested by the end of this year, followed by Gaganyaan 2 (G-2) next year, although it remains unclear if these tests will also face delays.

The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a three-member crew into orbit at an altitude of 400 km for a three-day mission before safely returning them to Earth. Among the selected astronauts are Palakkad native Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, along with Group Captains Ajith Krishnan and Subhanshu Shukla, all of whom have completed their training.

Additionally, the launch of NISAR, an Earth observation satellite developed in collaboration with NASA, has also been postponed. Originally slated for launch in December, the NISAR satellite will now be launched next year.