Unmanned Gaganyaan flight to take off by 2021-end: Report

Hit by disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the launch of India's first unmanned space mission under the first leg of Gaganyaan, that was earlier planned for December 2020, is likely to take off by the end of 2021, according to a report by The Times of India. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will eventually also launch a second crewless flight, now scheduled for 2022 before launching humans into space. The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a three-member crew to space for a period of five to seven days by 2022 when India completes 75 years of Independence.

The process of human rating is progressing well and is expected to be complete in the second half of next year, Isro Chairman K Sivan told the publication.

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The first unmanned mission was planned in December 2020, the second unmanned mission in June 2021. The final and the main component, the manned mission of Gaganyaan, was scheduled six months later in December 2021, much before the 2022 deadline.

ISRO had earlier indicated that there would be a delay in several missions as the space body's work has been hit by disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Among the major projects that have been affected are Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan. Chandrayaan-3, the third mission to Moon, was scheduled later this year.