Gaganyaan Astronauts - NDA Alumnus, Test Pilots, Sword Of Honour Winners

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of the four astronauts selected for the country's ambitious human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, today.

During the event, Prime Minister Modi conferred astronaut wings upon the chosen pilots, marking a historic moment for India's space exploration endeavours. The four astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan mission are Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

Here are brief biographies of each astronaut:

Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair

Group Captain Nair was born in Kerala on August 26, 1976. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Puna and was awarded the prestigious Sword Of Honour at the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad. The Sword Of Honour is given to the best-performing cadet during overall training. 

Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair was commissioned in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 19, 1998. He is a Cat A Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with 3,000 flying hours. He has experience of flying the Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29 fighter jets along with Dornier and An-32 transport aircraft. He also commanded a premier Su-30MKI fighter squadron. 

He is an alumnus of the United States Staff College, Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington and the Flying Instructor School, Tambaram, Tamil Nadu.  

Group Captain Ajit Krishnan

Group Captain Krishnan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and a recipient of the President's Gold Medal and Sword of Honour. He was commissioned on June 21, 2003, in the fighter stream. The officer is a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with 2900 flying hours. He has flown the Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, SEPECAt Jaguar, and Dornier, An-32 transport aircraft. Group Captain Krishnan is an alumnus of DSSC, Wellington, Tamil Nadu. 

Group Captain Angad Pratap

Group Captain Angad Pratap was born in Prayagraj, UP on 17 July 1982. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on 18 December 2004 in the fighter stream. He is a Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with approximately, 2200 hrs of flying experience He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, BAe Hawk, Dornier and An-32.

Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla

Wing Commander Shukla was born in Lucknow on 10 October 1985. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on 17 June 2006 in the fighter stream. He has undergone a Fighter Combat Leader course from the prestigious Tactics and Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) school. He is also a Test Pilot with approximately 2000 hrs of flying experience. He has flown a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, BAe Hawk, Domnier, and An-32.

The Gaganyaan mission aims to propel a three-member crew into a Low Earth Orbit, where they will remain for three days before safely returning to Earth. The selection process for these astronauts involved rigorous training encompassing both technical knowledge and physical fitness, ensuring their preparedness for the challenges of space travel.