The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that its Human Space Flight Centre has partnered with Axiom Space Inc from the USA for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), for which India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been shortlisted.
For the above mission, a National Mission Assignment Board has recommended two 'Gaganyatris' as prime and backup pilot, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (prime) and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (backup).
“The assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The recommended 'Gaganyatris' will commence their training for the mission from the first week of August 2024,” ISRO said in a statement.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, then wing commander, was among the four astronaut-designates Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of during his visit to Kerala on February 27 for India's first human space flight programme 'Gaganyaan'.
PM Modi bestowed 'astronaut wings’ to the astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan mission, the space programme for which extensive preparations are underway at various ISRO centres.
Apart from Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, PM Modi bestowed 'astronaut wings to Group Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, and Group Captain Angad Pratao for India's first human space flight programme.
