The Indian Space Research Organization has officially chosen two astronauts to fly to space on the next Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been chosen to go to the United States for training for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS.
The National Mission Assignment Board has made the selections for this mission. The board selected two astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission, one as the main pilot and the other as a backup. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been chosen as the main pilot for the mission, while Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair will be the backup pilot.
India in Space
With the success of the Axiom-4 mission, Captain Suubhanshu Shukla will become the second Indian to ever go into space, after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma.
As per ISRO, the training for the selected astronauts will begin from the first week of August 2024. NASA will train these astronauts for scientific research, ISS technology demonstrations, and public outreach events in this training.
Who is Captain Shubhanshu Shukla?
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, main pilot for the mission, was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. An NDA alumnus, he was commissioned into the IAF's fighter stream on June 17, 2006.
He is a Fighter Combat Leader and Test Pilot with around 2,000 hours of flying experience. Wing Commander Shukla has flown various aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
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Who is Captain Nair?
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the backup astronaut for the mission, was born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala. Nair is also an alumnus of the National Defence Academy like Captain Subhanshu. He has also been awarded with the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy.
Nair was commissioned into the fighter stream on December 19, 1998. In addition, he possesses almost 3000 hours of flying experience and the greatest accomplishment of all—being a flying instructor.
Key Features of Axiom Space Mission:
The Axiom Mission-4 is scheduled for launch in October 2024. Axiom Space operates this private spaceflight, which will transport an Indian astronaut to the ISS. The following are the key features of this mission:
- The mission is supported by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft
- The spacecraft will be launched from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, using a Falcon 9 launcher
- The duration of the mission is 14 days
- This mission is the follow-up of the successful Axiom-1, Axiom-2, and Axiom-3 missions.
- Represents significant international space cooperation between ISRO, Axiom Space, and NASA.
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