The Indian space agency announced that on Saturday, they successfully completed the initial test flight in a series of flights, overcoming a technical issue. This is in preparation for their goal of sending astronauts into space by 2025.

The experiment included sending a module into outer space and then returning it to Earth in order to test the spacecraft’s crew escape system. The Indian Space Research Organization’s leader, S. Somanath, stated that the module was successfully retrieved after landing in the Bay of Bengal.

Somanath stated that the launch was postponed for 45 minutes due to weather conditions in the morning. However, an additional delay of over an hour occurred due to an engine issue, causing the ground computer to pause the module’s liftoff.

Somanath informed reporters that the system’s monitoring issue was fixed, allowing the successful launch of the Sriharikota satellite from the southern Indian launching station 75 minutes later.

This would open doors for future unmanned expeditions, such as launching a robot into space in the upcoming year.

In September, India accomplished the launch of its initial space expedition to investigate the sun, in under two weeks following a triumphant unmanned touchdown near the southern polar region of the moon.

In September of 2019, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, joining the United States, the Soviet Union, and China after a previous unsuccessful attempt.

The successful mission demonstrated India’s growing reputation as a leading force in technology and space, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of projecting the country as a rising power that deserves a place among the world’s top nations.

Modi recently revealed a plan for India’s future goals in space, stating that by 2035, the country’s space agency will establish an Indian-made space station and by 2040, an Indian astronaut will land on the moon.

Starting in the 1960s, India has sent satellites into space for its own use as well as for other nations. In 2014, India successfully placed a satellite into orbit around Mars. Currently, India is preparing for its inaugural mission to the International Space Station in partnership with the United States, set to take place next year.