Four IAF pilots selected for historic Gaganyaan Mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the names of the four astronauts selected for India’s inaugural human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla will embark on the historic mission.
Highlighting the significance of this mission, the Prime Minister said: “This time around, the countdown, the timing, and even the rocket would be ours.” Bestowing them with the prestigious ‘astronaut wings,’ he described the astronauts as “four forces” representing the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians.
The PM also highlighted India’s self-reliance in the Gaganyaan program and said: “This
mission is a testament to India’s self-reliance and growing presence in space.”
“Not only is the mission significant as India’s first crewed spaceflight, but the majority of its components are proudly manufactured within our borders,” he added.
Modi also commended the astronauts’ rigorous training and their role in inspiring India’s youth toward scientific pursuits.
He outlined India’s ambitious space plans, including a return to the Moon, a sample retrieval
mission, and the establishment of a national space station by 2035. He emphasized the growing significance of India’s space economy and its potential to become a global hub in the sector.
“All of you are opening new doors of future possibilities,”
he told the ISRO team, adding that it was estimated that India’s space economy will grow fivefold and touch 44 billion dollars in next 10 years.
Earlier, Modi inaugurated three major space infrastructure projects worth around Rs 1,800 crores of ISRO during his visit to the VSSC.
The projects include the SLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and Stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri and ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.
The Trisonic Wind Tunnel at VSSC produces controlled uniform airflow over scaled models of rockets and aircraft to evaluate their aerodynamic characteristics and designs. It features a test section size of 1.2 meters and can generate speeds ranging from subsonic to supersonic, up to 4 times the speed of sound (Mach number 4.0).
The Mahendragiri unit is a state-of-the-art facility capable of handling large flows of propellants.