An accomplished test pilot, astronaut trainee, and Group Captain in the Indian Air Force (IAF), Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair has garnered a great deal of attention for his work on India's ambitious human space and international space missions.
Notably, he is one of the four astronauts selected for India's Gaganyaan mission, the country's first manned space mission slated for 2025, and the backup crew member for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS).
Early Life and Education
Born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, India, Prasanth Nair grew up in a life of determination; his family returned to Kerala after having escaped the Gulf War. He studied at Chinmaya Vidyalaya at Pallavur before joining NSS Engineering College, Palakkad.
In his study of engineering, he passed the entrance test for the National Defence Academy (NDA), where he started his journey in the sky.
Aviation and Military Career
Commissioned in the Indian Air Force's fighter stream in December 1998, Nair has logged more than 3,000 flying hours on multiple aircraft types, ranging from Su-30 MKI to MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, and Dornier. He is a Category A instructor pilot and a test pilot, and he commanded a world-class Su-30 fighter squadron.
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His proficiency is also underscored by his first-class honors and the esteemed Sword of Honour from the Hyderabad Air Force Academy, along with topping the International Officers class at the U.S. Air Command and Staff College in Alabama.
Astronaut Training and Space Missions
In 2019, Prasanth Nair was also chosen by India's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for training as an astronaut at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. He is one of the four astronauts publicly announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024 under the crew of the Gaganyaan mission.
The mission will make India the fourth country in the world to gain human spaceflight capability by putting three crew members in orbit for three days at an altitude of 400 km.
Apart from Gaganyaan, Nair has also been appointed as the backup pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a commercial mission to the ISS. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, also an Indian Air Force officer and Gaganyaan astronaut, is the lead pilot for Ax-4.
Both Nair and Shukla are going through intensive training at ISRO's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru, Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, and NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their training comprises survival skills, zero-gravity simulations, human centrifuge training to tolerate high g-forces, and familiarization with the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle and ISS modules.
Personal Attributes and Recognition
Prasanth Nair is renowned for his commitment, technical proficiency, and leadership in spaceflight and aviation. He is one of the key figures in India's space efforts because of his background as a fighter and test pilot as well as his rigorous astronaut training schedule.
As evidence of his commitment to developing his technical abilities, he also has a Master of Technology (research) degree in aeronautics from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
With his expertise in both military aviation and cutting-edge space exploration, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is the pinnacle of India's aerospace and defense capabilities.
He highlights his important role in both national and international space activities while serving as a Gaganyaan astronaut and reserve crew for the Axiom-4 mission.
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