India's Gaganyaan Mission aims for its first human space flight by 2024-2025, with preparations ongoing at ISRO centers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the name of four astronauts who will fly to low-Earth orbit as part of the mission.
The selected astronauts, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap...
...Ajit Krishnan, and Shubanshu Shukla, are experienced Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel trained as test pilots.
Training for the astronauts is taking place at ISRO's facility in Bengaluru and was initially conducted at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre.
ISRO and Glavkosmos signed an agreement for astronaut training, furthering collaboration between Indian and Russian space agencies.
The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate India's capability in human spaceflight by launching astronauts into orbit 400 kilometers above Earth for a 3-day mission.
Following the mission, the astronauts will return safely to Earth with a planned landing in Indian sea waters.
The mission is part of India's broader space exploration goals, including the establishment of the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035.
The announcement was made by PM Modi during a visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, highlighting the significance of India's advancements in space exploration.