The Soyuz T-11 spacecraft carrying cosmonauts including Sharma docked and transferred the three member Soviet-Indian international crew, consisting of the ship's commander, Yury Malyshev, and flight engineer, Gennadi Strekalov, to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station.

[27][28] The latest push for the Indian Human Spaceflight Program took place in 2017,[29] And it was accepted and formally announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2018 Independence Day address to the nation.

[36][37] In a reply to the Rajya Sabha on February 13, 2025, Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh Rana stated the COVID-19 pandemic was the main reason of the delay, slowing down the production of avionics components and disrupting the supply chain.

Out of the five, two are biological experiments that will be conducted by IIST, UASD and TIFR and will include kidney stone formation and Sirtuin 1 gene marker effects in Drosophila melanogaster.

The MoU will address problems like food storage, radiation, microgravity, and constant nutrient supply, as well as health risks like cancer, cataracts, and loss of bone and muscle.

[6] Expanding the scope of the Gaganyaan initiative, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved on September 18, 2024, the development of the BAS-01 Base Module.

[44][45] Madhavan Chandradathan, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), stated that ISRO would need to set up an astronaut training facility in Bangalore.

CNES will assist in the execution of a scientific experiment plan for validation missions, knowledge sharing regarding food packaging and nutrition programs, and the use of French medical tools, equipment, and consumables by Indian astronauts.

[59] In February 2024, IIT Kanpur built and evaluated the Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility, referred to as S2, in the Department of Aerospace Engineering's Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory (HEAL).

[62] The nose of the original version of the orbital vehicle was free for a docking mechanism, but primary entry was evidently through a side hatch secured by explosive bolts.

In addition to supplying food, water, and oxygen and assisting in regulating body temperature, the life support system will also handle waste products of crew members.

[66] Following fruitless attempts to obtain the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) from other countries, ISRO has declared that it will be developing it on its own for Gaganyaan mission.

During the Gaganyaan mission's ascending phase, the RCS thrusters will ensure precise attitude correction, while the LAM engines will supply the primary propulsive force.

The first hot test, which lasted 723.60 seconds, was intended to show how to pump fuel into the orbital module and burn 100 Newton thrusters and LAM engines for calibration.

With a diameter of 5.8 meters, these conical ribbon-type parachutes use a single-stage reefing system that reduces canopy area and lessens opening stress to provide a controlled and smooth descent.

To make sure the spacecraft's radio transmitter and receiver can successfully communicate with the European Space Agency's antenna in Kourou, French Guiana, the test will be carried out at the Ground Segment Reference Facility.

[96] To confirm the network operation of the Gaganyaan orbital module communication system with the ESA ground stations, ISRO and the ESOC jointly finished a series of radio frequency compatibility tests on 12 February 2025.

The maximum acceleration during ascent phase of flight was limited to 4 Gs for crew comfort and a 5-metre (16 ft) diameter payload fairing was used to be able to accommodate large modules like space station segments.

[100] Furthermore, a number of changes to make safety-critical subsystems reliable are planned for lower operating margins, redundancy, stringent qualification requirements, revaluation and strengthening of components.

[101] Avionics improvements includes an Integrated Health Monitoring System (LVHM), Dual chain Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP) and Quad-redundant Navigation and Guidance Computer (NGC).

In order to stop rocket engines from emitting chlorinated exhaust products, ISRO has started the development of an environmentally benign solid propellant based on Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP) as fuel and Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) as oxidizer.

The enhancements include stronger ignition and insulation systems, improved digital control electronics as well as extra safety features for motor case joints.

[116] On 21 February 2024, ISRO announced that the performance of the primary cryogenic engine that will be installed on the LVM3 launch vehicles for Gaganyaan has been verified and approved for use in human spaceflight missions.

[123][124] According to G. Madhavan Nair, space suit development has already begun in a low-key manner prior to the official Cabinet approval of ₹9,023 crore Gaganyaan project on 28 December 2018.

[133] Hindustan Times reported on 12 January 2024, that in order to double-check crew safety for the first mission, Indian astronauts are expected to don Russian-made spacesuits rather than the domestically manufactured Intra Vehicular Activity (IVA) suits created by Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.

The indigenously developed suit weighs 20% less while maintaining high standards of safety against fire, water, pressure changes and one hundredth of the cost of its foreign counterpart.

In terms of life support, oxygen/air management, and CBRN resistance, the ACES will combine the finest features of the Russian Sokol and the American Advanced Crew Escape Suit.

[159] The mission's objectives were to comprehend the reentry aerodynamics and test the effectiveness of the deceleration system by demonstrating the separation of the apex cover and the deployment of the parachute in a cluster configuration.

In order to mitigate the problem and improve safety, ISRO is going to test an "uprighting system" that resembles gaseous balloons and works similarly to airbags in cars to keep the crew module from toppling over in the event of lateral wind and sea wave disturbances following splashdown.

[185] Using a mass and shape simulated crew module mock-up, ISRO and the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command successfully completed the well deck trials on December 6, 2024.