Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the names of four pilots who are undergoing training for the country’s maiden human space flight mission ‘Gaganyaan’.
The pilots are – Group Captain P Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander S Shukla.
During the inaugural ceremony held today at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Hon’ble PM unveiled the Indian Astronaut Logo and awarded the ‘अंतरिक्ष यात्री पंख’ to the four IAF Astronauts.#IAF will be working in ‘Mission Mode’ along with @isro to achieve… pic.twitter.com/x6tZIleodq
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) February 27, 2024
The PM also bestowed ‘astronaut wings’ to the four astronaut-designates.
“I am happy that today I got the opportunity to meet these astronauts and present them in front of the country. I want to congratulate them on behalf of the entire country…You are the pride of today’s India,” PM Modi said during his address.
He added, “India’s success in the space sector is sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the country’s young generation.”
PM Modi, who is on a short visit to Kerala, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram where he reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission. He is accompanied by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, union minister Muraleedharan, and ISRO chairman S Somanath.
#ISRO reveals the identities of the four astronaut designates for #Gaganyaan‘s first crewed mission! 👨🚀
• Group Captain Prashanth BalaKrishnan Nair
• Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
• Group Captain Angad Prathap
• Wing Commander Shubhansku Shukla🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/08bLavQxBT
— ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) February 27, 2024
The Gaganyaan Mission
The Gaganyaan mission is India’s first manned space mission, aiming for a launch between 2024-2025. The project envisages launching a crew of three humans into an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.
The mission is accomplished through an optimal strategy by considering in-house expertise, the experience of Indian industry, the intellectual capabilities of Indian academia, and research institutions along with cutting-edge technologies available with international agencies, a release by the ISRO said.
It was a very special moment for me to hand over wings to the four Indian astronaut-designates. They reflect the hopes, aspirations and optimism of 140 crore Indians.
India is proud of Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad… pic.twitter.com/i0oseaxd4o
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 27, 2024
Last week, ISRO successfully completed the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine, in a big boost to India’s bid to launch the mission.
“ISRO has accomplished a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan missions, with the completion of the final round of ground qualification tests on February 13, 2024. The final test was the seventh of a series of vacuum ignition tests carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, to simulate the flight conditions,” the ISRO said in a statement.
ALSO READ: ISRO Successfully Completes Human Rating of CE20 Cryogenic Engine for Gaganyaan Mission
