Indian Astronauts Selected for Indo-US Mission to ISS

Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been chosen for a forthcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), according to an announcement by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday.

ISRO stated that Group Captain Shukla has been recommended as the primary astronaut, with Nair serving as his backup. This decision was made on the recommendation of NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc, ISRO sources told PTI.

In an official release, ISRO revealed that its Human Space Flight Centre has inked a space flight agreement with Axiom Space Inc. The National Mission Assignment Board has recommended two 'gaganyatris' (astronauts) -- Group Captain Shukla as prime and Group Captain Nair as backup. The assigned crewmembers will receive final approval from the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP) and will begin training in August 2024.

During the mission, the astronauts will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations on board the ISS, while also participating in space outreach activities. ISRO noted that the experiences gained will significantly benefit India's Human Space Programme and bolster ISRO-NASA human space flight cooperation.

The mission stems from an Indo-US collaboration announced by President Joe Biden after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. Shukla and Nair were among four astronauts named by Modi earlier for India's maiden human spaceflight next year, alongside Group Captains Ajit Krishnan and Angad Pratap.

(With inputs from agencies.)