The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has shared an exhilarating update. Through their official channel, they announced the completion of the initial training phase for Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Balakrishnan Nair. ISRO and NASA are collaborating on a mission to send these astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Only one astronaut will be sent to the space station, primarily selecting Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, who will pilot this mission. Group Captain Nair will serve as the backup. The mission involves agencies such as NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom alongside ISRO.
Source: aajtak
Group Captain Shukla will join the Axiom-4 mission aboard SpaceX’s rocket and capsule, one of four astronauts traveling to the space station. Their completed training included SpaceX suit fitting, space food selection, ISS and Dragon capsule familiarization, and emergency medical response. Advanced training in the United States will cover orbital segment operations and microgravity research.
Meet the Astronauts...
Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Subhanshu received military training at the National Defence Academy. He joined the Indian Air Force fighter stream on June 17, 2006, as a fighter combat leader and test pilot. He has over 2,000 flight hours, flying aircraft like Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and AN-32.
Source: aajtak
Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair
Born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, Nair completed training at the NDA, earning the Sword of Honor from the Airforce Academy. On December 19, 1998, he joined the fighter jet program, becoming a fighter pilot and later a CAT-A class flying instructor and test pilot, logging nearly 3,000 flight hours.
Nair has piloted Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, AN-32, and others. He’s an alumnus of the United States Staff College, DSSC Wellington, and FIS Tambaram, and a former commandant of a Sukhoi-30 squadron.
