Over a year after PM Narendra Modi announced during his official visit to the US that an Indian astronaut would join a US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), ISRO has now signed a space flight agreement (SFA) with Axiom Space. This agreement will send Group Captain Prashanth Nair and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on the mission.
Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on October 10, 1985, graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA). He joined the Indian Air Force on June 17, 2006, as a fighter pilot. With around 2000 flying hours, he is both a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot. He has flown many aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Shukla started his path to becoming a Gaganyaan astronaut with intense training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Moscow. He learned all about space travel, including how spacecraft work, how the body handles space conditions, and what to do in emergencies.
Who Is Prasanth Nair
Group Captain Prasanth Nair, the son of Valampil Balakrishnan and Koolanghaat Pramila from Nenmara was born in 1976.
He completed his schooling in Kuwait where his father worked.
An Indian Air Force official said, “He is a top-level flying instructor and test pilot with about 3,000 hours of flying experience. He has flown many types of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.”
Shortly after Group Captain Nair was announced as one of the four astronaut candidates, Malayalam actress Lena revealed that she was married to him.
