July 04, 2025 04:51 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it’: Jaishankar’s response on US bill proposing 500% tariffs | 'We slapped because of his attitude': MNS worker justifies assault on shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi | 'Marathi will have to be spoken in Maharashtra': State minister after MNS workers' assault on shopkeeper | PM Modi conferred with 'The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana' | Three Indian nationals abducted in Al-Qaeda-linked group's attack in Mali, MEA expresses 'deep concern' | Pune woman raped by man posing as delivery boy, police probe on | Kolkata gangrape case: West Bengal Bar Council expels prime accused Monojit Mishra | Contempt case: Court sentences former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison | India has every right to defend its people against terrorism: Jaishankar at Quad Meet | Dalai Lama's institution will continue, Trust will recognise his successor
Photo courtesy: X/@TheSpacePirateX

ISRO picks Shubhanshu Shukla as 'prime astronaut' for Indo-US mission to space station

| @indiablooms | Aug 03, 2024, at 02:49 am

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has picked the youngest of its astronaut-designates as the prime astronaut to fly on the upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla who recently got promoted has been selected as the prime astronaut.

A 'prime astronaut' is chosen to fly, but a backup astronaut is always kept as a last-minute swap option in case of any mishap.

Shukla was born in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on October 10, 1985. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

He is a Fighter Combat Leader and a test pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. He has flown various aircraft, including Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

The backup astronaut will be Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the oldest of the astronaut-designates. He was born in Kerala's Thiruvazhiyad on August 26, 1976. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and a recipient of the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on December 19, 1998 in the fighter stream of the IAF.

Group Captain Nair is a Category-A flying Instructor - the highest that a pilot can achieve, and a test pilot with approximately 3,000 hours of flying experience. He has also flown several aircraft including Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

He is an alumnus of the United States Staff College and a Directing Staff at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the Flying Instructors School, Tambaram.  He has commanded a Sukhoi-30MKI squadron.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Close menu