What Happened
- At least six planned ISRO launches remain unexecuted as the self-imposed March 2026 deadline passed, reflecting a broader pattern of mission delays that has built up over the past two years.
- The most high-profile miss is the Gaganyaan G1 mission — India's first uncrewed orbital test flight for its human spaceflight programme — which was originally targeted for the end of March 2026 and has slipped to at least the second half of 2026.
- The first PSLV launch of 2026 also failed, continuing a troubling streak: PSLV has now suffered five failures since 2021, including the PSLV-C61 failure in May 2025, which grounded the vehicle for investigation.
- Structural factors behind the delays include budget under-utilisation (the space programme has struggled to spend its allocated budget fast enough), rocket vehicle reliability issues, and Sriharikota launch pad constraints.
- Other pending missions include NVS-03 (NavIC navigation satellite), the first industry-led PSLV launch under IN-SPACe's commercialisation push, and additional SSLV commercial launches.
Static Topic Bridges
Gaganyaan: India's Human Spaceflight Programme
Gaganyaan is ISRO's flagship programme to demonstrate indigenous human spaceflight capability, with the goal of sending a three-member crew to low Earth orbit (LEO) at approximately 400 km altitude for a 3-day mission. Before the crewed flight, ISRO is conducting a series of uncrewed test flights. The programme has seen serial delays — originally targeted for 2022, then deferred multiple times. The first uncrewed orbital flight (G1) carries Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot, to test life support and environmental systems in actual spaceflight conditions.
- G1 (first uncrewed orbital test): Originally targeted March 2026; now expected H2 2026
- G2 and G3 (additional uncrewed flights): Planned through 2026 to test extended duration and in-orbit manoeuvring
- First crewed mission: Now targeted Q1 2027 (originally 2022)
- Vyommitra: Female-appearing humanoid robot built by ISRO to simulate crew conditions
- Launch vehicle: LVM3 (formerly GSLV Mk III) — India's heaviest operational rocket
- Four Indian Air Force pilots selected and trained as Gaganyaan astronauts (Vyomnauts): Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla
Connection to this news: The G1 slippage beyond March 2026 is the most significant item among the six unfulfilled launches, as it pushes the entire Gaganyaan crewed mission timeline further right, raising questions about India's ability to meet its stated space programme goals.
PSLV: India's Workhorse Rocket and Recent Reliability Concerns
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), operational since 1994, has been ISRO's most dependable rocket with over 60 flights and a historically high success rate. However, it has suffered five failures since 2021, a frequency significantly higher than its prior track record. The most recent failure in 2026 and the PSLV-C61 failure (May 2025, EOS-09 satellite lost due to third-stage chamber pressure drop) have grounded the vehicle pending failure analysis. This unreliability is particularly significant because PSLV is also the planned platform for early commercial launches under IN-SPACe's industry partnership framework.
- PSLV first flight: 20 September 1993 (partial failure); first successful flight: 15 October 1994
- Variants: PSLV-CA (Core Alone), PSLV-XL (with 6 strap-on boosters), PSLV-DL, PSLV-QL
- Payload capacity to SSO: ~1,750 kg; to GTO: ~1,400 kg
- PSLV-C37 (2017): Record 104 satellites in single launch — still a world record
- PSLV-C61 (May 2025): Failed due to Stage-3 solid motor malfunction; EOS-09 lost
- Five failures since 2021 represent a significant deviation from PSLV's ~95% historical success rate
Connection to this news: PSLV failures compound the six-mission backlog — commercial and scientific payloads cannot fly until the vehicle's reliability is restored through a successful re-qualification flight, expected around June 2026.
IN-SPACe and India's Space Commercialisation Push
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) was established in 2020 under the Department of Space as part of India's space sector reforms to open up space activities to private players. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is the commercial arm of ISRO that handles technology transfer and commercial launch contracts. The goal is to reduce ISRO's operational launch load while building a domestic private space industry — similar to how NASA created the conditions for SpaceX and Rocket Lab to emerge in the US.
- IN-SPACe created: 2020, under Department of Space (not separately incorporated)
- NSIL: Wholly-owned government enterprise for commercial launches and satellite production
- First private Indian rocket: Vikram-S by Skyroot Aerospace (November 2022); Agnikul Cosmos flew Agnibaan in 2024
- Industry-led PSLV: NSIL transferring PSLV production to private consortium led by Larsen & Toubro and HAL
- Indian Space Policy 2023: Provides comprehensive framework for private sector participation
- India's share of global space economy: ~2% (target: 10% by 2030)
Connection to this news: The first industry-led PSLV launch — a key milestone for India's space commercialisation — is among the six delayed missions. Its failure to fly on schedule delays the broader goal of building a self-sustaining private launch industry.
Key Facts & Data
- Six ISRO missions planned for by March 2026 remain unlaunched as of April 2026
- Gaganyaan G1 (uncrewed): Slipped to H2 2026; crewed mission (G1 crew) now targeted Q1 2027
- PSLV has suffered 5 failures since 2021, most recent in 2026 (vehicle grounded for investigation)
- PSLV-C61 failure (May 2025): Lost EOS-09 earth observation satellite; caused by third-stage pressure drop
- NVS-02 (January 2025): Only partial success; NVS-03 follow-up also pending
- India completed 5 launches in all of 2025 — below annual targets set at programme outset
- Budget under-utilisation identified as a structural issue: space programme unable to spend allocations fast enough
- ISRO's total budget for 2025-26: approximately ₹13,042 crore (Union Budget 2025)