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India has chosen two Air Force pilots to train for a trip to the International Space Station as part of the upcoming Axiom-4 mission. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the prime astronaut, while Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair will be his backup, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said.
“After touching the sky with glory, it’s time for the #IAF to touch space with glory,” the Indian Air Force tweeted.
“Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair are chosen for the upcoming Indo-US Axiom-4 mission to the ISS. The prime astronaut, Group Captain Shukla, is an experienced Test Pilot with 2000 hrs of flying,” it said.
Isro signed a space flight agreement with Axiom Space to send the two to the ISS. The space agency’s Human Space Flight Centre recommended Shukla as the prime mission pilot.
The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. The assigned crew members will be approved to fly to the ISS by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP).
“The recommended Gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from 1st week of August 2024,” Isro said. “The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Program and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA.”
The mission comes more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans for an Indian astronaut to visit the ISS during a state visit to the US.
The two officers are among four astronaut-designates selected for India’s Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first crewed spaceflight.
Shukla is a fighter pilot with more than 2,000 hours of flying experience in various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, and MiG-29. Nair, also a fighter pilot, has logged approximately 3,000 hours of flight time.
