Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India’s four “astronaut designates” on February 27, 2024, during a visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. These elite fighter pilots from the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been selected to participate in India’s first human-crewed space mission, the Gaganyaan project. The Prime Minister refers to them as the “four forces,” representing the ambitions of India’s 1.4 billion residents.
Mentioned below are the details about the four astronauts:
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Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Aiyer
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the group captain, was born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) and received the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. Nair was commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter stream on December 19, 1998, and is a Category A Flying Instructor and Test Pilot with over 3000 hours of flying experience. He has flown various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He has also undergone training at the United States Staff College and worked as a directing staff member (DS) at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and the Fighter Instructor School (FIS) in Tambaram. Notably, he has commanded a premier fighter, the Su-30 Squadron.
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Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
Ajit Krishnan, group captain, was born on April 19, 1982, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is an NDA alumnus who received the President’s Gold Medal and the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on June 21, 2003, in the IAF’s fighter stream. He is a flight instructor and test pilot with around 2900 hours of flying experience. He has flown several aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Dornier, and An-32. He is also a graduate of DSSC, Wellington.
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Group Captain Angad Pratap
Group Captain Angad Pratap was born in Prayagraj on July 17, 1982. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter stream on December 18, 2004. He is a flying instructor and a test pilot with roughly 2000 hours of flight experience. His piloting experience covers various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
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Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter stream on June 17, 2006. He has approximately 2000 hours of flying experience and serves as a Fighter Combat Leader and Test Pilot. His piloting experience includes aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Selection of the Astronauts
In collaboration with the Indian Air Force, ISRO carefully selected a crew of qualified test pilots. These pilots achieved extensive clinical and psychological exams. The National Crew Selection Board later approved the names of four Air Force test pilots for India’s Gaganyaan Mission. Following selection, the pilots underwent intense training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center for around 13 months.
More About The Gaganyaan Mission
India’s first human spaceflight, the Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2025, is an essential milestone in the country’s space exploration objectives. The mission’s foremost mission is to highlight the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) capabilities in human spaceflight. It plans to accomplish this by sending a crew of three people into low-Earth orbit, around 400 kilometres above the surface, for a three-day mission before safely returning them to Earth.
