Who Is Group Captain Prasanth Nair, The Astronaut Designate For ISRO's Gaganyaan MissionBobins Abraham | Feb 28, 2024, 03:03 IST
(...) Soon after Group Captain Nair's name was introduced as one of the four astronaut-designates, Malayalam actress Lena revealed that she was married to him. (...)
"Today, 27 February 2024, our Prime Minister Modi ji Awarded the First Indian Astronaut Wings to Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair. It is a historic moment of pride for our Country, our state of Kerala and Me personally. In order to maintain the officially required confidentiality, I was waiting for this announcement to let you know that I got married to Prasanth on 17 January 2024 in a traditional ceremony through an arranged marriage," Lena said in an Instagram post.
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/who-is-group-captain-prasanth-nair-the-astronaut-designate-for-isros-gaganyaan-mission/articleshow/122481762.htmlhttps://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/who-is-group-captain-prasanth-nair-the-astronaut-designate-for-isros-gaganyaan-mission-628543.htmlMeet Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Axiom-4's backup astronaut and Shubhanshu Shukla's Gaganyaan crewmate?[ET OnlineLast Updated: Jun 25, 2025, 11:20:00 AM IST
At 12:01 pm IST on Wednesday, four astronauts will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Their destination: the International Space Station. Their mission: a packed fortnight of global scientific research in low Earth orbit.
India plays a key role in both the primary and backup crew of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot on the main team. And now, another Indian—Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair—has officially joined the backup crew.
Prasanth Nair: India’s test pilot in waiting
Group Captain Prasanth Nair, a senior Indian Air Force officer and ISRO astronaut trainee, has been named backup pilot for the Ax-4 mission. For those following India’s space ambitions, this name will be familiar.
Born in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala in 1976, Nair has served as commanding officer of a Su-30 squadron. He trained at the National Defence Academy and has over 3,000 hours of flying experience across fighter jets and transport aircraft. In 2019, he was selected by ISRO for astronaut training at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
On 27 February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially revealed him as one of four astronauts preparing for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight.
“I am honoured and excited for the opportunity to be a part of the historic Axiom Mission 4 as backup pilot,” said Nair.
Hungary’s Gyula Cserényi joins as backup specialist
Gyula Cserényi, an electrical engineer from Kecskemét, Hungary, has been appointed backup mission specialist. Born in 1989, Cserényi holds degrees in electrical engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and an economics qualification from the Budapest University of Economics.
He started his career in the energy sector, working his way up from project engineer to leading the electrical network safety unit at a major industrial site. Fluent in English and conversant in German, Cserényi is also a sports enthusiast. He has completed the Spartan Race nine times and enjoys fencing and wall climbing. He is married with two children.
What Ax-4 will do at the ISS?
Once docked—around 4:30 pm IST on Thursday—the crew will begin their two-week scientific mission. The Ax-4 astronauts, led by Commander Peggy Whitson and including Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, will carry out dozens of research experiments across biology, technology and agriculture.
This will be Axiom Space’s most research-intensive mission so far, involving contributions from 31 countries. NASA flight engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will oversee the spacecraft’s approach and docking with the Harmony module of the ISS.
Experiments will cover topics ranging from cancer cell behaviour to 3D-printed polymers and DNA repair. Nations contributing to the research include India, the United States, Hungary, Poland (in partnership with the European Space Agency), Brazil, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia.
Shubhanshu Shukla to lead India’s science payload
Shukla’s role in the mission is central to India’s contribution. He will oversee ISRO-led microgravity research projects developed with NASA and ESA. The experiments focus on biological systems and how they behave under zero gravity.
Once docked, the Ax-4 crew will be welcomed by the current seven Expedition 73 members, receive safety briefings, and begin science operations. Shukla and his team’s work aims to inform future long-duration missions.
The Indian research programme includes:
Analysing screen exposure effects on physical and mental functions in space
Studying the growth and metabolism of three microalgae variants
Investigating cellular behaviour of two cyanobacteria species
Examining muscle loss and countermeasures in microgravity
Testing six varieties of crop seeds in space conditions
Monitoring seed germination and plant development in orbit
Understanding how organisms survive in extreme environments
Each experiment is designed to deliver real-world insights for medical science, agriculture, and long-term space travel.
The Ax-4 mission is a stepping stone for India’s Gaganyaan programme. With astronauts in both the core and backup crew, and a substantial research role aboard the ISS, India is no longer a passive participant in space science.
These missions give Indian researchers and engineers hands-on experience in human spaceflight and reinforce the country's presence in international collaborations.
As science becomes more global, India’s ability to contribute knowledge and innovation will help shape the future of exploration. For now, eyes are on the sky—and on the growing team of Indians helping humanity reach beyond Earth.https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/axiom-4-backup-crew-meet-prasanth-balakrishnan-nair-axiom-4s-backup-astronautAstronaut Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair likens Shubhanshu Shukla to 'Ram'Published on: 21 Aug 2025, 4:13 pm
Union MoS Jitendra Singh, ISRO chief V Narayanan, astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair during a joint press briefing after the successful accomplishment of Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station and updates on Gaganyaan Mission, in New Delhi, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025.New Delhi | Astronaut Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair on Thursday likened Shubhanshu Shukla's return to India after a successful space mission to the festival of Diwali, which is celebrated to mark Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya.
Group Captain Nair, who was the backup astronaut for Shukla for the Axiom-4 mission, also likened himself to Laxman, the younger brother of Lord Ram.
"A few months from now, we will celebrate Diwali. That’s the time when Shri Ram entered Ayodhya. We are here right now with Ram that is Shux, and I can call myself Laxman. It feels like Diwali today, and all our countrymen are here to receive us," Nair said at a press conference here.
Shukla, who had the callsign 'Shux' during the Axiom-4 mission, and Nair returned to India earlier this week after nearly a year-long stay in the US, during which they trained for the mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
"Remember, I am elder to Shux. But I would love to be Laxman to this Ram every day. Ram and Laxman got a lot of help from the Vanar Sena, that is our fantastic ISRO team. Thank you, Hanuman and the team," Nair said, referring to ISRO Chairman V Narayanan and other scientists.
Nair also made light of questions on whether he felt that he should have travelled on the Axiom-4 mission instead of Shukla.
"I am an Indian Air Force fighter pilot. So, we learn something as a fighter pilot. It's not just important to lead. It's very important to be a good wingman," Nair said.
"The reason that a person is able to drop his weapon or fire his missile is because 'his six' is taken care of," Nair said, referring to the term used in the armed forces to have someone's back.
"It is even more important that you have made a very great contribution to make sure that what he has done has been part of your efforts also. More importantly, I say with full conviction that the reason we are ahead of the rest of the world is because we have got this consciousness," said Nair, who is among the four astronaut-designates short-listed for the Gaganyaan mission.
India plans to undertake its first human spaceflight in 2027 and build its own space station by 2035. India also aims to land its own astronaut on the moon by 2040.https://english.metrovaartha.com/news/astronaut-prashanth-balakrishnan-nair-likens-shubhanshu-shukla-to-ramhttps://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/gaganyaan-astronauts-prashanth-balakrishnan-nair-angad-prathap-ajit-krishnan-shubhanshu-shukla-9183404/
Wątek: PB Nair - 26.08.1976 (Przeczytany 195 razy)