India’s astronaut cadre is planned to open to civilians for future human space missions, with civilian specialists from STEM fields proposed for the second batch of astronauts. The framework is linked to ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme, which is India’s first human spaceflight mission and uses a phased astronaut selection system.
Gaganyaan Astronaut Selection
The first batch of four astronauts for Gaganyaan was unveiled on 27 February 2024. The batch consists of Indian Air Force test pilots Air Commodore Prashanth B Nair, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, and Group Captain Angad Prathap. ISRO’s committee on astronaut selection and management has recommended that the second batch include four civilian specialists from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics backgrounds and six mission pilots from military aviation. Civilians are projected to join mission crews from the fourth crewed Gaganyaan mission onwards.
Astronaut Cadre Structure
The committee has proposed an astronaut cadre strength of up to 40. It has also targeted readiness of the second batch in 72 months and the third batch by 96 months.
- The planning assumes two crewed missions per year.
- The planning allows astronauts to fly again after a two-year gap following a mission.
- The full astronaut turnaround cycle is estimated at 4.5 years.
India’s Human Spaceflight Roadmap
India’s human spaceflight roadmap includes the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and a human mission to the Moon by 2040. The inclusion of civilians is part of the transition from initial human spaceflight capability to a sustained astronaut pool for orbital missions and station operations.
STEM Civilian Specialists
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Civilian astronauts in space programmes are usually selected for scientific, technical, medical, or operational roles in microgravity missions.
Last Modified: April 27, 2026