Gaganyaan, the first crewed space mission, is only the first step in India’s space ambitions. The four selected Indian Air Force test pilots will pave the way for future generations to go to the Moon and beyond.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Tuesday that Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla have been designated as India’s astronauts for Gaganyaan, the nation’s first crewed space mission. These four accomplished Indian Air Force officers, renowned for their extensive experience as test pilots, are presently undergoing rigorous training in preparation for the mission. Prime Minister, bestowing them with the prestigious astronaut wings, hailed them as the “four forces” embodying the aspirations and optimism of 1.4 billion Indians.
The declaration was made at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thumba, Kerala, just days following the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) announcement of the successful testing of the cryogenic engine’s human readiness. This engine is slated for use in the vehicles for the Gaganyaan mission.
The inaugural mission flight, Gaganyaan-1, is slated as an unmanned test flight scheduled for the end of 2024 or early next year to validate technology readiness. Subsequently, the manned mission is scheduled to embark, carrying a three-member crew into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 km. The mission is designed to last three days, concluding with their return to Earth.
Know About The Test Pilots
The four astronauts concluded their generic training at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre between February 2020 and March 2021. This training initiative, established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ISRO and Glavkosmos (a subsidiary of the Russian space agency Roscosmos) in June 2019, paved the way for their current training at ISRO’s astronaut training facility in Bengaluru.
The ongoing training regimen involves a specific focus on subsystem functioning using various subsystem simulators. The astronauts actively contribute to the crew module design development, providing insights into comfort, functionality, and efficiency. Continuous fitness and psychological training are integral aspects of their preparation, as emphasized by an ISRO official.
Meanwhile, one of the four astronauts is expected to undergo training with the American space agency NASA. This announcement was made by Bill Nelson, NASA’s administrator, during a visit to New Delhi in 2023. The selected astronaut will likely be chosen from the group preparing for the Gaganyaan mission.
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
Born on 26 August 1976 in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was honoured with the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 19 December 1998, he holds the Cat A Flying Instructor designation. He is a seasoned Test Pilot with around 3000 hours of flying experience.
His extensive flying career encompasses various aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and AN-32. Gp Capt. Nair has pursued his education as an alumnus of the United States Staff College and has served as a directing staff member at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and the Flying Instructors School (FIS) in Tambaram. Notably, he has commanded a premier fighter squadron equipped with Su-30 aircraft.
Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
Born on 19 April 1982 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Krishnan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and distinguished by being awarded the President’s Gold Medal and the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 21 June 2003, Krishnan holds the role of Flying Instructor and is an accomplished Test Pilot with approximately 2900 hours of flying experience.
His flying career encompasses various aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Dornier, and AN-32, among others. Krishnan is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington.
Group Captain Angad Pratap
Gp Capt Pratap was born on 17 July 1982 in Prayagraj, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned on 18 December 2004 in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force. He has accumulated around 2000 hours of flying experience as a flying instructor and test pilot.
His aviation expertise extends to flying a diverse range of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and AN-32, among others.
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla was born on 10 October 1985 in Lucknow, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned on 17 June 2006 in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force. Serving as a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot, he boasts around 2000 hours of flying experience.
His flying proficiency extends to a diverse range of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and AN-32, among other aircraft variants.
The Gaganyaan mission is India’s most expensive scientific endeavour, estimated at approximately Rs 10,000 crores. The mission anticipates the advancement of several groundbreaking technologies. Success in this mission would propel India into the exclusive group of nations capable of sending astronauts into space using domestically-produced rockets, joining the ranks of the United States, China, and Soviet Russia. Notably, the most recent nation to achieve independent human space flight capabilities was China in 2003.
In 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history as the first Indian in space, flying to the Salyut 7 space station aboard a Soviet spacecraft. The groundwork for an orbital vehicle mission, eventually named Gaganyaan, began in 2006. As the astronaut designates are announced, the palpable excitement related to the manned mission generates a lot of curiosity.
Ravi Shankar
