Four astronaut-designates from India selected for the ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, set to launch in 2025, are currently undergoing intense training at the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) crew training facility in Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed the astronaut wings to the selected candidates on Tuesday, who will fly to space as part of the Gaganyaan Mission.
The quartet, comprising Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, have a packed schedule filled with classroom sessions, simulator training, microgravity familiarization, survival drills, and flying practices.
“They are being trained on aero-medical aspects, recovery and survival procedures, in addition to academic courses on Gaganyaan flight systems,” an ISRO official stated. “Training modules also include physical fitness, simulator training, and spacesuit familiarization.”
Mission-specific preparations began after the completion of the four astronauts’ general spaceflight training in Russia at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
According to ISRO sources, the current training curriculum comprises over 200 specialized lectures by ISRO scientists and Indian Institute of Science faculty. The crew has also undergone 75 fitness sessions and 12 hours of flying practices, besides medical checkups and progress evaluations.
