Ajit Krishnan

Indian Air Force Group Captain and one of the four astronaut-designates for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

Portrait of Ajit Krishnan
Photo: Press Information Bureau · GODL-India · source

Contribution

Krishnan is one of the four Indian Air Force test pilots that ISRO selected and trained for Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight programme. On 27 February 2024 the Prime Minister presented astronaut wings to all four at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, the first time their names were made public.

Career

The four astronaut candidates first did generic spaceflight training in Russia, including survival training in snow, water and steppe, parabolic flights, orbital mechanics and Soyuz systems. They then joined ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre for training specific to Gaganyaan.

Linked missions

  • Gaganyaan: astronaut-designate.

Sources

  1. PM visits Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala — PIB
  2. Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi visited VSSC — ISRO
  3. Successful Launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-04) with Indian Astronaut and Ax-04 Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla — ISRO
  4. Four Indian astronauts undergoing generic space flight training in Russia as part of Gaganyaan Programme nearing completion — PIB