Who Are The Gaganyaan Astronauts?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the names of the four astronauts who are undergoing training for the country's maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.

The four astronauts are - Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla. The Prime Minister revealed the names at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba near the Kerala state capital.

The PM was at the VSSC to inaugurate three major technical facilities of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

As per a report in The Times of India, of many aspirants, 12 people cleared the first level of selection in 2019. The Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), under the Indian Air Force (IAF), conducted the selection process. Following several rounds, IAM and ISRO finalized the last four candidates. In early 2020, ISRO sent these four individuals to Russia for initial training, which, despite some delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded in 2021.

Subsequently, these four individuals have undergone extensive training facilitated by various agencies, including the armed forces. ISRO has been enhancing its Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) with a range of simulators to aid in their training. Meanwhile, they continue to engage in regular flying activities with the IAF to maintain their physical fitness.

About the training, the ISRO says, "Astronaut Training Facility established in Bengaluru caters to Classroom training, Physical Fitness training, Simulator training and Flight suit training. Training modules cover academic courses, Gaganyaan Flight Systems, Micro-gravity familiarization through Parabolic Flights, Aero-medical training, Recovery & Survival training, mastering of Flight Procedures and training on Crew Training Simulators. Aero medical training, Periodical flying practice and Yoga are also included as part of the training."

The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India's capability for human spaceflight by sending a crew of three members into orbit at an altitude of 400 km for a three-day mission, returning safely to Earth by landing in the Indian sea waters.

This project is being executed through a strategic approach that leverages India's expertise, industry experience, academic and research capabilities, and cutting-edge technologies from international agencies.

Several precursor missions were planned to demonstrate the readiness of the technology before the actual human spaceflight mission. These include Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV) flights. Unmanned missions will precede the manned mission to ensure the safety and reliability of all systems.