India’s landmark manned space endeavor, the Gaganyaan mission, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has taken a significant leap forward. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a major announcement from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, disclosed the names of the four astronauts selected for this pioneering journey to low-Earth orbit. The astronauts, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, Shubanshu Shukla, and Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, bring to the mission a wealth of experience as test pilots, with ranks of wing commanders or group captains in the Indian Air Force (IAF), preparing them for any exigencies in space.
Hailing from diverse backgrounds, with Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair joining the Air Force in 1999 after completing his engineering from NSS College in Palakkad, and originating from Nenmara in Palakkad, these astronauts have undergone rigorous training. Their preparation took place at the astronaut training facility in Bengaluru, after being selected from the Institute of Aerospace Medicine associated with the IAF. The team has been narrowed down to these four from a larger pool, with one eventually staying behind as the trio embarks on the Gaganyaan mission.
The training regimen for these astronauts included a comprehensive program at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia from February 2020 to March 2021, facilitated by a collaboration between ISRO and Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. This international partnership underscores the global dimension of India’s space exploration efforts.
Further extending international cooperation, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, during a 2023 visit to Delhi, announced plans for NASA to train one Indian astronaut for a mission to the International Space Station by the end of 2024, with the selection likely from the group preparing for the Gaganyaan mission, as reported by The Indian Express. The Gaganyaan mission is not just a technical feat but a demonstration of India’s burgeoning capabilities in human spaceflight. By sending astronauts 400 kilometers above the Earth for a three-day orbit and ensuring their safe return to the Indian Ocean, India is poised to make a significant statement on the international space stage.
