BENGALURU — The Indian Space Research Organisation on Tuesday outlined fresh progress toward the first uncrewed test flight of its Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, reaffirming its goal of launching Indian astronauts by 2027.

The update followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in New Delhi this week that India should become a global hub for the space sector. ISRO officials said integration and testing of the crew module and the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle were continuing at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Gaganyaan aims to place a three-member crew in low Earth orbit for up to three days before a safe splashdown. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has said the agency plans a series of uncrewed missions, including tests of the crew escape system, before any human flight is attempted.

The programme forms a central pillar of India's expanding space ambitions, which include a planned space station and a crewed lunar mission in the 2040s. Government ministers have repeatedly linked the effort to private-sector growth, with startups pressing New Delhi to accelerate satellite and launch capacity.

An ISRO spokesperson said that "every mission brings India closer to becoming a self-reliant spacefaring nation," noting that safety validation remained the agency's foremost priority ahead of crewed flights.