In the past four months, well guarded from curious eyes, the Indian Space Research Organisation has dusted a 15-year-old dream flight plan and crafted out a grand design to send three Indian astronauts to space.

Some bits came out here and there, but there was utmost secrecy around the project. Understandable, as the Department of Space and ISRO are directly under the Prime Minister.

Many activities related to the Human Space Flight Project were helmed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram and the Launch Vehicle Programme Office at the ISRO headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan, in Bengaluru. ISRO Chairman K. Sivan was heading the VSSC until January.

About three months ago, after the routine reviews of activities across centres, Dr. Sivan brought V.R. Lalithambika, who specialised in advanced launch vehicle activities at the VSSC, over to Bengaluru and named her the Director of the newly created office for Human Space Project. If ISRO was caught by surprise by the early date set by the Prime Minister, it hid that well; a top official had said at a premier science event last year that the HSP may happen in 2024. Until Wednesday’s announcement, ISRO officials fought shy of talking about their most high-profile and expensive mission to date. Two days ago, Dr. Sivan said the paperwork was going on.