Proud moment for Kerala; Malayali Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair included in India's Gaganyaan Mission, names of astronauts announced

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, a Malayali, has been included in the team of astronauts participating in India's proudest project, the Gaganyaan Mission. A native of Nenmara, Palakkad, Prasanth joined the Indian Air Force in June 1999 after completing his studies at the National Defense Academy (NDA). He is a pilot of the Sukhoi fighter aircraft. The other members of the team are Group Captain Angad Pratap, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

The names of the astronauts participating in the Gaganyaan mission were announced at a function held at VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister V Muraleedharan spoke at the function.

During the function, the Prime Minister bestowed ‘astronaut wings’ to the four. The four astronauts have been undergoing training at ISRO’s astronaut training facility in Bengaluru. They also underwent training at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

'These are not four travellers, but four powers. Four forces that inspire billions of people. I wish them good luck on behalf of the country. The names of these four people were written in the history of the country. They have been working hard for the past few years. This mission requires a healthy mind and body. The nation is with you. You will become celebrities," Modi said.

"Most of the equipment used in Gaganyaan is made in India. The Gaganyaan mission will usher in major changes in the space sector. Women are also important in the space sector. Such missions cannot be done without women scientists. We will still go to the moon. Samples will be collected from the Moon and returned to Earth. India will have a space station in 2035. Indians will land on the moon in India's own rocket," Modi added.

The Gaganyaan mission is India's first human space flight program for which extensive preparations are underway at various ISRO centres.