Astronaut wings for Gaganyaan’s IAF pilots, PM calls them 4 Shakti

One of the four IAF pilots is likely to fly to the International Space Station later this year as part of a NASA mission, following an agreement between the space agencies of India and the United States last year. The others would be part of the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first manned space flight that is currently scheduled for next year. The space capsule for Gaganyaan has the capacity to carry three astronauts, but it has not yet been finalised whether two or three astronauts would be sent on that mission.

Hailing the four officers at a function at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram, Modi called them “four Shakti” and bestowed the prestigious ‘astronaut wings’ on them. “They are not just four names or individuals, they are four ‘Shakti’… carrying the aspirations of 140 crore Indians into space,” he said, asking the audience to give a standing ovation to the pilots.

Shubanshu Shukla , Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, and Ajit Krishnan have been selected to be the astronauts on India’s first crewed mission to space. (Screngrab)

Emphasising the significance of this mission, he noted that an Indian was ready to venture into space after four decades. “This time around, the countdown, the timing, and even the rocket would be ours,” he declared.

Modi also expressed pride that most of the components for the Gaganyaan mission have been manufactured in India, underscoring the nation’s self-reliance in space exploration.

Lauding their dedication and spirit towards training, he said the four pilots are representatives of India’s “Amrit generation” that never gives up and shows the strength to challenge all adversities. He also noted the role of yoga as part of the training module.

“In this Amrit Kaal, an Indian astronaut will land on the Moon in an Indian rocket,” he said. “All of you are opening new doors of future possibilities,” he told the ISRO team.

Only three countries — the United States, Russia and China — have sent human spaceflights till now, though over 600 astronauts, including over 70 women, from close to 50 different countries have gone into space.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had started planning for a human spaceflight mission way back in 2004 but the real possibilities opened up only after the success of Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions, and the development of the GSLV rocket in the last one decade.

The Gaganyaan mission was originally scheduled for a launch in 2022, to coincide with 75 years of India’s independence, but that schedule got derailed because of the Covid pandemic.

The four astronauts-designate Gp Capt Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair Nair, who hails from Nemmara village in Kerala’s Palakkad district, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and recipient of the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy.

Born on August 26, 1976, he was commissioned on December 19, 1998. The fighter pilot is a Category A flying instructor and a test pilot with approximately 3,000 hours of flying experience. As an experienced fighter pilot, he has flown a variety of fighter jets, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, as well as the Dornier and AN-32 in over 25 years of his career in the IAF. He has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 squadron in the Northeast.

Nair has also trained at the United States Staff College and has been a Directing Staff at Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington.

The son of a retired engineer, his two brothers are settled abroad while his sister lives in Thrissur.

Gp Capt Ajit Krishnan

Born in Chennai on April 19, 1982, the fighter pilot is an alumnus of NDA and a recipient of the President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. He is also an alumnus of DSSC, Wellington.

Commissioned in June 2003 in the fighter stream of IAF, the officer is a flying instructor and a test pilot with about 2,900 hours of flying experience and has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-21, Mig-29, Jaguar and Dornier, AN-32.

His wife is also learnt to have served in the IAF.

The officer is known to be an excellent gymnast and was a “blazer holder” at NDA. “Blazer holder” means a person who has attained the highest standard in a particular discipline.

Gp Capt Angad Pratap

Born in Prayagraj on July 17, 1982, he is also an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned in the fighter stream of IAF in December 2004. The officer is a flying instructor and a test pilot with about 2,000 hours of flying experience and has flown Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, AN-32 among other aircraft. His wife is a former IAF officer.

Wg Cdr Shubhanshu Shukla

Born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, the officer is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned in the IAF in June 2006. He is a fighter combat leader and a test pilot with about 2,000 hours of flying experience, and has flown Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, AN-32 among other aircraft.

The Gaganyaan mission envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an intended low earth orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

“We will launch the Gaganyaan mission with astronauts by next year; everything is progressing as per plan,” Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Science and Technology, said. “The PM himself awarding the astronaut wings to the selected candidates shows the government’s commitment and priority towards space missions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Modi also inaugurated three major space infrastructure projects worth about Rs 1,800 crore – the SLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota; the new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and Stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri; and ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.

Among those present at the VSSC were Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and ISRO chairman S Somanath.