Malayali Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair Joins India’s Gaganyaan Mission

In a moment of pride for Kerala, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, hailing from Nenmara, Palakkad, has been selected as one of the astronauts for India’s prestigious Gaganyaan Mission. Joining the Indian Air Force in 1999 after completing studies at the National Defense Academy (NDA), Prasanth serves as a pilot of the Sukhoi fighter aircraft. The astronaut team includes Group Captain Angad Pratap, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. The official announcement of the astronaut names took place at a ceremony held at VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister V Muraleedharan.

During the event, the Prime Minister conferred ‘astronaut wings’ upon the four members, acknowledging their significant role in the Gaganyaan mission. The astronauts have been undergoing rigorous training at ISRO’s astronaut training facility in Bengaluru. Prime Minister Modi, after his engagements in Thiruvananthapuram, is set to continue his visit to Coimbatore, addressing the BJP general meeting in Tirupur and attending various programs in Madurai, Tuticorin, and Tirunelveli over the following days. This marks Modi’s third visit to Tamil Nadu this year.