The Prime Minister introduced four people, including group captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, who is a Malayali. Apart from Prashanth, the other three are Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla.
Prashant Balakrishnan was selected as the head of the task force. Prashant Coolangat, a native of Nenmara, Palakkad, is the son of Pramila and Valambil Balakrishnan.
Prashant is a fighter pilot who flies Sukhoi fighter jets. After completing his studies from the National Defense Academy, Prashant Nair joined the Air Force. He joined the Air Force as a commissioned officer in 1999.
Prashant Nair is a first class graduate of the US Air Command and Staff College. In 1998, he received the Sword of Honor from the Hyderabad Air Force Academy. Prasanth and three others have been training as part of the Gaganyaan mission for the past four years.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on the occasion that he was happy to meet the astronauts, talk to them and introduce them to the nation.
These four people are not only four men but also four forces that carry the aspirations of 140 crore people into space. Indian going to space after 40 years. This time, the time is ours, the countdown is ours, the rocket is ours,’ said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister said that the astronauts still have a lot of work to do and should not bother them with selfies and autographs. He also announced that India’s own space station will become a reality in 2035.
After that, the training programs for them continue even after their return. Various trainings are also being conducted for them at air force centers in different parts of the country. In 2025, the Gaganyaan project will send three people into space at a distance of 400 km from the earth and bring them back to earth after three days.
