PM announces 4 Gaganyaan crew members ‘taking 140 cr Indian to space’

| Updated: 27 February, 2024 2:13 pm IST
PM reveals Gaganyaan crew that will take India's 140 crore on a space journey.

NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that India’s growing influence on the global stage is evident in its space endeavours, particularly highlighted by the announcement of the names of four astronauts selected for the nation’s Gaganyaan human space flight mission.

The PM conferred astronaut credentials upon the four people chosen for the space voyage during a ceremony held at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The four astronaut candidates selected for the Gaganyaan mission include Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

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The objective of the human space flight mission is to send a three-person crew into Low Earth Orbit and safely return them after a three-day duration. The selected astronauts have undergone comprehensive training encompassing technical expertise and physical conditioning to guarantee their well-being throughout the mission.

“The country has come to know about the four Gaganyaan passengers. These are not just four names or four people. These are four powers who will take the aspirations of 140 crore Indians to space,” remarked the Prime Minister.

“Forty years later, an Indian is going to space. But this time, the timing, the countdown, and the rocket belong to us,” he continued. Previously, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (retired) travelled to space in 1984 as part of a Soviet mission.

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The Prime Minister highlighted that with India poised to become the world’s third-largest economy, the Gaganyaan mission will propel our space sector to unprecedented levels of achievement.

He also underscored the significant contributions of women scientists in the space technology sector. “India’s Nari Shakti is playing pivotal role in the space sector. Be it Chandrayaan or Gaganyaan, no such mission can be imagined without women scientists,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister emphasised that India’s achievements in the space sector are not only fostering a spirit of scientific inquiry among the youth but also positioning the country as a vibrant global participant in the 21st century, demonstrating remarkable progress across various domains.

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