On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Gaganyaan mission, describing it as a "new chapter" in the journey of an "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India). At an event held by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Subroto Park in New Delhi, Singh honored the four chosen astronauts, referring to them as "gems."
The event served as a formal felicitation of the four Gaganyatris: Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. The ceremony followed the successful completion of the Axiom 4 mission, in which Wing Commander Shukla was a participant.
The names of these four individuals were first made public in February 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Gaganyaan project, which was officially announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2018, is a landmark human spaceflight mission. Its objective is to launch a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission, with a targeted launch date of 2027. The mission represents a significant milestone in India's space exploration endeavors and its ambition to achieve self-reliance in cutting-edge technology.
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