Shristy Kamal, Pune
On Tuesday, PM Modi announced the names of the four astronauts while visiting the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The astronauts will be a part of the first crewed Indian space mission, Gaganyaan, conducted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The chosen astronauts for India’s historic space mission are Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla. Coming from the ranks of wing commanders or group captains in the Indian Air Force (IAF), all four individuals have extensive experience as test pilots, equipped to handle unforeseen challenges.
PM Modi, during his visit to the VSSC, inaugurated three other significant space infrastructure projects of ISRO. His visit also included a comprehensive review of ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. Accompanied by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Modi explored an exhibition showcasing various ISRO projects at VSSC. The Gaganyaan project, as outlined by ISRO, aims to demonstrate human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the short term and establish the groundwork for a sustained Indian human space exploration initiative in the long term. The program’s objective is to showcase the indigenous capability to undertake a human spaceflight mission to LEO. The government has approved two unmanned missions and one manned mission as part of this project.
Emphasizing the significance of the Gaganyaan mission, PM Modi highlighted that as India strives to become the world’s third-largest economy, this opportunity will take our space sector to great heights. He acknowledged the pivotal role that women scientists play in the sector of space technology. He said that such missions are impossible without the contribution of women scientists.
The astronauts selected are all test pilots and have over 2,000 hours of flying experience.
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair: Born in August 1976 in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was honored with the Sword of Honor at the Air Force Academy. With an experience of about 3,000 hours of flying, he has flown aircrafts such as Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, An-32, etc.
Group captain Ajit Krishnan: Born in Chennai in April 1982, was also honored with the President’s Gold Medal and the Sword of Honor at the Air Force Academy. Currently, he is a flight instructor and a test pilot and has around 2,000 hours of flying experience.
Group Captain Angad Pratap: He is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and has flown aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla: A graduate from the NDA, he holds the titles of Fighter Combat Leader and Test Pilot. He has approximately 2000 flight hours and has flown aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.