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Four Indian Air Force (IAF) officials designated as astronauts to travel on Gaganyaan, the country’s maiden space flight next year, are fighter pilots with each of them having no less than 2000 hours of flying experience.
Names of Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla were made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who bestowed each of them with astronaut wings during a review of the progress of the Gaganyaan mission on Tuesday.
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is the senior most IAF official among the four shortlised for the space mission. Born in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, on August 26, 1976, Group Captain Nair is a Cat A Flying Instructor and a test pilot with approximately 3,000 hours of flying experience, said sources aware of developments. He has flown a variety of fighter and transport aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32, after getting commissioned on December 19, 1998 in the fighter stream of IAF. The Group Captain has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 Squadron.
Nair is also an alumnus of United States Staff College and a DS at DSSC, Wellington and FIS, Tambaram.
Similarly, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, born in Chennai, on April 19, 1982, was decorated early in his career, having got President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour at Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on June 21, 2003, in the IAF’s fighter stream. An alumnus of National Defence Academy (NDA), he is the second most experienced pilot after Group Captain Nair who has done about 2,900 hours of flying. He worked as a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot. Krishnan has flown a variety of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-21, Mig-29, Jaguar, Dornier and An-32. The Group Captain is also an alumnus of DSSC, Wellington.
The third Group Captain is Angad Pratap,42, a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot, with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. He was commissioned on December 18, 2004 in the fighter stream of IAF after passing out from the NDA, said sources. Like his senior colleague, he too has flown both fighter as well as transporter aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
The Group Captain was born in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on July 17, 1982.
Lastly, Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla is a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. Born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, he went to the NDA and was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the fighter stream. Among the aircrafts he flew so far include Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a post on X extended his wishes to the four pilots for getting selected for the Gaganyaan mission.
“The aspirations and ambitions of New India is set to take a giant leap as PM Shri @narendramodi unveils and hands over wings to the four Indian astronaut-designates. I extend my best wishes to Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla for getting selected for the #Gaganyaan Mission. I am confident that they will rise to the occasion and help India in realising the dream of its first #indigenous manned space flight,” he posted.
An Indian Air Force spokesperson said it is a matter of immense pride for the IAF that four fighter pilots have been shortlisted for the mission.
Three of four pilots, who have been undergoing trials and tests to make them ready for the mission, will be launched to an orbit of 400 km for three days and brought back to earth safely by landing in Indian sea waters.
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