Who Is Group Captain Prasanth Nair, The Astronaut Designate For ISRO's Gaganyaan Mission
One of the four men who will take India to the moon is one of their own. The four Astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan are from Kerala.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the four Astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan, India's first manned space mission, on Tuesday the Nenmara village in Palakkad district of Kerala erupted in joy.
That is because one of the four men who will take India to the moon is one of their own.
TWITTER
From Kerala village to moon
Group Captain Prasanth Nair, the son of Valampil Balakrishnan and Koolanghaat Pramila from Nenmara was born in 1976.
He completed his schooling in Kuwait where his father worked.
He joined the National Defense Academy (NDA) while he was a student at NSS Engineering College, Palakkad, and was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF in December 1998.
Was thrilled to meet Group Captain Prasanth Balkrishnan Nair, heading the #GaganyaanMission
¡ª Cdr Abhilash Tomy KC, NM (@abhilashtomy) February 27, 2024
May you touch space with glory!@isro @IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/ONj0xEIMVX
Group Captain Nair's IAF career
A Sukhoi fighter pilot, Group Captain Nair is also a recipient of the 'Sword of Honour' -- an honour given to the best all-round cadet -- at the Air Force Academy.
"A Cat A flying instructor and a test pilot with approximately 3,000 hrs of flying experience, he has flown a variety of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Hawk, Dornier and An-32," an IAF official said.
Warm wishes to the 4 astronaut designates of @isro's esteemed #Gaganyan mission. A moment of pride for Kerala as Group Captain Prashanth Nair from Palakkad takes the helm. The mission is poised to create history, marking a trailblazing achievement in Indian space research. pic.twitter.com/qdDpHoH1zy
¡ª Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) February 27, 2024
The 47-year-old is also "an alumnus of the United States Staff College and a DS at DSSC, Wellington and FIS, Tambaram, the spokesperson said, adding he has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 Sqn.
Married to Malayalam actress Lena
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.
Instagram
"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.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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