Almost five years after India first announced its human spaceflight program – Gaganyaan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of four astronauts selected for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s ambitious mission.
The four astronaut-designates– Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla — are currently undergoing training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru for the country’s maiden human space flight mission.
The Prime Minister also reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan mission at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and interacted with Vyomitra, a humanoid, which will be the first to launch on the Gaganyaan Mission before astronauts set foot in the crew capsule.
GROUP CAPTAIN PRASANTH BALAKRISHNAN NAIR Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair was born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala. An alumnus of NDA and recipient of the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy, Nair was commissioned on December 19, 1998, in the fighter stream of IAF. He is a Cat A Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with approximately 3000 hrs of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, An-32, etc. He is also an alumnus of the United States Staff College and a DS at DSSC, Wellington and FIS, Tambaram. He has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 Sqn.
GROUP CAPTAIN AJIT KRISHNAN Group Captain Ajit Krishnan was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on April 19, 1982. He is an alumnus of NDA and recipient of the President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on 21 Jun 2003 in the fighter stream of IAF. He is a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with approximately 2900 hrs of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-21, Mig-29, Jaguar, Dornier, An-32, etc. He is also an alumnus of DSSC, Wellington.
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GROUP CAPTAIN ANGAD PRATAP Group Captain Angad Pratap was born in Prayagraj on July 17, 1982. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on December 18, 2004, in the fighter stream of IAF. He is a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with approximately 2000 hrs of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An-32, etc.
WING COMMANDER SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on October 10, 1985. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on June 17, 2006, in the fighter stream of IAF. He is a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot with approximately 2000 hrs of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An-32, etc.
HOW WERE THE 4 ASTRONAUTS SELECTED? ISRO in collaboration with the Indian Air Force selected the crew of talented test pilots. The selected pilots then underwent several clinical and psychological tests. Finally, the National Crew Selection Board recommended the names of four test pilots from the Air Force for India’s Gaganyaan Mission.
The pilots were then trained at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia for about 13 months.
ISRO’S GAGANYAAN MISSION The Gaganyaan Mission is set to carry a crew of astronauts into low Earth orbit, making India the fourth nation in the world to do so, after the United States, Russia, and China.
The spacecraft designed for the mission is being developed with advanced technology to ensure the safety and success of the mission. The spacecraft that will carry the astronauts will be equipped with life support systems, communication systems, and other essential features to sustain human life in space.
The Indian space agency is set to launch India’s first human space flight program – Gaganyaan Mission – by the end of 2025.
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