Gaganyaan: Meet The Four Astronaut Designates Chosen To Fly On India’s First Manned Space Voyage
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Gaganyaan: The four astronaut designates for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) Gaganyaan Programme were announced on February 27, 2024. These designates, who are airmen in the Indian Air Force (IAF), are eligible to fly to low-Earth orbit as part of India’s first human spaceflight programme, known as Gaganyaan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Gaganyaan crew members and bestowed astronaut wings upon them at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The four men chosen for India’s first crewed space mission are Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shubhanshu Shukla.
Nair, Krishnan, and Pratap are group captains in the IAF, and Shukla is a wing commander.
They are expected to fly to an orbit of 400 kilometres in 2025, and live in low-Earth orbit for about three days. If the crewed mission of Gaganyaan is successful, India will become the fourth country in the world to send humans to space, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and China.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore has announced that the astronaut designates are pursuing their Master of Technology at IISc, and also undergoing training at ISRO. Some faculty members from IISc are serving as instructors for the astronauts’ ground training programme.
Here are some interesting facts you would like to know about the astronaut designates.
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
Born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, Nair is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), and the United States Staff College. He has also received a Sword of Honour from the Air Force Academy.
Nair obtained his engineering degree from NSS college in Palakkad.
On December 19, 1998, Nair was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF. He has about 3,000 hours of flying experience.
Nair is a Category A Flying Instructor. This means that he has graduated from the Flying Instructors School (FIS) in Chennai and is a qualified flying instructor who can conduct flight training for pilots.
Nair is also a test pilot. The various aircraft he has flown include Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, BAE Systems Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32, among others, according to the IAF.
Ajit Krishnan
Born on April 19, 1982, in Chennai, Krishnan is an alumnus of the NDA, and the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. He has received the President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour from the Air Force Academy.
Commissioned on June 21, 2003, in the fighter stream of the IAF, Krishnan has about 2,900 hours of flying experience.
A flying instructor and a test pilot, Krishnan has flown aircraft such as Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32, among others.
Angad Pratap
Born on July 17, 1982, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Pratap is an alumnus of the NDA. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on December 18, 2004, he has about 2,000 hours of flying experience as a flying instructor and test pilot.
Pratap has flown aircraft such as Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, BAE Systems Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32, among others.
Shubhanshu Shukla
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shukla is an alumnus of the NDA. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on June 17, 2006, Shukla has about 2,000 hours of flight experience as a fighter combat leader and a test pilot.
The aircraft he has flown include Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, BAE Systems Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32, among others.
How many astronauts will fly to space as part of Gaganyaan’s first crewed mission?
While there are four astronaut designates, only three of them will fly to space for Gaganyaan’s first crewed mission.
Since all the astronaut designates have proper experience as test pilots, they are expected to make correct and timely decisions in case a mishap occurs in space. They have undergone extensive training at ISRO’s astronaut training facility in Bengaluru.
The four IAF airmen were selected as astronaut designates at the IAF’s Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru.
During the inaugural ceremony held at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the prime minister also unveiled the ‘Indian Astronaut Logo’. The astronaut wings given to the designates are called ‘Antriksh Yatri Pankh’.
The IAF will work in ‘mission mode’ with ISRO to make India’s first crewed spaceflight a success.
What milestones for Gaganyaan have been achieved so far?
The important milestones achieved so far for Gaganyaan include the successful completion of the first test vehicle development flight mission in October 2023, and the CE20 cryogenic engine of the Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3), which will carry Indian astronauts to space, qualifying as human-rated in February 2024.
As part of the first Test Vehicle Development Flight (TV-D1) or Test Vehicle Abort Flight, an uncrewed Crew Module and a Crew Escape System took off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The Crew Escape System was successfully jettisoned, and the Crew Module recovered by the Indian Navy after splashing down into the Bay of Bengal. Thus, the first mission of Gaganyaan’s uncrewed flight tests demonstrated the performance of the Crew Escape System, proving that in case of any mishap, the system can be effectively separated from the Crew Module in order to save the lives of astronauts.
What is next for Gaganyaan?
The second Gaganyaan test development flight is scheduled for the second quarter of 2024. This is also a part of Gaganyaan’s uncrewed missions. The acceptance tests for the CE20 cryogenic flight engine that will be used for this mission have been successfully completed. The engine, which has a thrust capability of 19 to 22 tonnes, will power the upper stage of LVM3.
ISRO will launch humanoid robot Vyommitra to space in the third quarter of 2024. This means that one can expect the launch to take place anytime between July and September 2024.
Vyommitra is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit words “Vyoma”, which means space, and “Mitra”, which means friend.
Vyommitra is a female humanoid robot that can monitor module parameters, issue alerts, and execute life support operations. The robot can operate several panels and respond to questions, and has been designed in such a manner that it can simulate human functions in the space environment and interact with life support systems.
India’s own space station to be set up by 2035, first Indian astronauts to reach Moon by 2040
ISRO will set up India’s space station, which will be called the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), by 2035 in a phased manner, Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on February 7, 2024. The BAS is currently in the conceptualisation phase, the minister said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha. The conceptualisation phase is the one in which the overall architecture, number, and types of modules required are studied.
ISRO is currently working on the configuration of the space station. Since the space station will be set up in a phased manner, modules will be launched at different times.
After the feasibility studies for India’s space station are complete, a proposal will be submitted to the government. Once the government approves it, funds will be allocated for establishing India’s space station.
Indian astronauts will be on the Moon by 2040, ISRO Chairman S Somanath has said.
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