Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO Prepares for First Human Spaceflight with Crucial Test Flight

India is all set to commence a series of preliminary test flights in preparation for the Gaganyaan mission, its first human spaceflight mission. The inaugural test, known as the Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1), is scheduled to take place on October 21 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The test will assess the performance of the crew module and crew escape system, which are critical components of the Gaganyaan mission. If the test is successful, it will pave the way for the first unmanned Gaganyaan mission in late 2023, followed by the first manned mission in 2024.