Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has carved his name in history as the second Indian astronaut to venture into space and the first to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS). He was launched to the ISS as part of the Axiom 4 mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket. Shukla lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 PM on June 25. After an impressive journey of 28 hours, the Axiom-4 crew successfully docked with the Harmony module of the ISS at 6:31 AM ET (4:01 PM IST), marking their arrival around 8:14 AM ET (5:44 PM IST). This momentous event followed their launch from the Kennedy Space Center at 2:31 AM ET (12:01 PM IST) on June 25.
However, had astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla fallen ill, sustained an injury, or become medically unfit before the launch, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair would have been the second Indian astronaut to travel to space and the first Indian to step aboard the ISS. Nair has undergone the same rigorous training as Shukla in Houston.
Here’s what you need to know about Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair:
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is an IAF pilot and astronaut who has earned the prestigious Sword of Honour at the Hyderabad Air Force Academy. He is one of four astronauts selected for the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission, which is set to be India’s inaugural human spaceflight.
Early life
Born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, India, he began his education at Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Pallavur before moving on to NSS Engineering College in Palakkad. After that, he attended the National Defence Academy.
Career
He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force's fighter wing in December 1998. As a test pilot and flight instructor, Nair boasts approximately 3,000 hours of flight experience across a variety of aircraft, including the advanced Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He has served as the Commanding Officer of a Su-30 squadron and graduated at the top of his class from the US Air Force Air Command and Staff College in Alabama.
In 2019, Nair was selected by ISRO for training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia, where he underwent a year of intensive training. On February 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Nair as one of the four astronauts in training for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.
ALSO READ:
