The four pilots received their training at the Bengaluru-based Astronaut Training Facility.
Narendra Modi disclosed the identity of four pilots training for the country's historic "Gaganyaan" human spaceflight program on Tuesday. The pilots are Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Wing Commander S Shukla, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Group Captain P Balakrishnan Nair.
I'm happy I got to meet these astronauts and share their story with the country today. Let me extend my congratulations to them on behalf of the entire country.Prime Minister Modi said, "You are the pride of today's India," during his speech.
He went on, saying that because of India's achievements in the space industry, the country's youth are growing more interested toward science.
Prime Minister Modi visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, during a quick trip to evaluate the status of the Gaganyaan Mission. Alongside him are Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Federal Minister Muraleedharan, and ISRO Chairman S Somanath.
With reference to the Gaganyaan mission
Gaganyaan, India's first manned space mission, is expected to launch in 2024 or 2025. The project aims to safely return a three-person crew to Earth by landing in Indian Ocean seas after a three-day mission in a 400-kilometer orbit.
An ISRO press release states that the mission is carried out using an optimal plan that considers intellectual ability of university and research institutions, industry expertise, internal knowledge, and cutting-edge technology accessible with international organizations.
Last week saw the successful completion of ISRO's CE20 cryogenic engine's human rating, which significantly aided India's bid to launch the mission.
On February 13, 2024, ISRO completed the final round of ground qualification testing, marking a major advancement towards the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine. The CE20 engine powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle, which is intended for the Gaganyaan missions. The last test was the eighth in a series of vacuum ignition tests at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri's High Altitude Test Facility, which were carried out to simulate flight conditions, according to an ISRO announcement.
