Meet The 4 Astronauts Chosen For India's First Human Space Mission, Gaganyaan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Kerala on Tuesday, revealed the names of the astronauts selected for India's inaugural human space flight programme, 'Gaganyaan.'

The announcement took place at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, where PM Modi inaugurated three significant space infrastructure projects and assessed the advancements of the Gaganyaan Mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his excitement and pride in handing over wings to the four astronaut. PM Modi tweeted, "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 Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla."

Who are the astronauts selected for Gaganyaan mission?

PM Modi bestowed 'astronaut wings' to the selected individuals, namely Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. These test pilots, having completed their training in Russia, are currently training themselves with the mission intricacies at an ISRO unit.

Prashanth B. Nair: Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair was born in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala on August 26, 1976. He is alumnus of NDA and recipient of the Sword of Honour at Air Force Academy. He is also an alumnus of United States Staff College and a DS at DSSC, Wellington and FIS, Tambaram.

He was commissioned on December 19, 1998 in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is a Cat A Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with approx 3000 hours of flying experience.

He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, An-32, and has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 Sqn.

Angad Prathap: Group Captain Angad Pratap, born in Prayagraj July 17 1982, is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on December 18, 2004 in the fighter stream of IAF.

Gp Capt Pratap is a flying instructor and a test pilot with approx 2000 hours of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An-32 etc.

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Shubhanshu Shukla: Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla was born in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow October 10, 1985. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the fighter stream of IAF.

He is a fighter combat leader and a test pilot with approx 2000 hours of flying experience. Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla has flown variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An-32 etc.

Ajit Krishnan: Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, born in Tamil Nadu's Chennai on April 19, 1982, is an alumnus of NDA and recipient of President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour at Air Force Academy.

Gp Capt , was commissioned on 21 Jun 2003 in the fighter stream of IAF. He is a flying instructor and a test pilot with approx 2900 hours of flying experience. He has flown variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-21, Mig-29, Jaguar, Dornier, An-32 etc. He is also alumnus of DSSC, Wellington.

Crew training for Gaganyaan mission

To prepare astronauts for the manned mission, ISRO established an Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. The training includes academic courses, Gaganyaan Flight Systems, Micro-gravity, Parabolic Flights, Aero-medical training, Recovery & Survival training, mastering Flight Procedures, and Crew Training Simulator sessions. Aeromedical training, periodic flying practice, and Yoga are also integral components of the training.

S Somnath, the chairman of ISRO, said that the astronauts participating in the Gaganyaan mission will be awarded the coveted "wings" or logos, symbolizing their selection for the manned space mission.