Proud moment for all Keralites as there is a Malayalee in the list of four test pilots who have been selected for India’s first manned space mission, the Gaganyaan mission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the list of test pilots during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today.
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is the Keralite, who hails from Nenmara in Palakkad. The other astronauts are Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla.
Prasanth began his aviation career by joining the Air Force in 1999. He received the sword of honour for the best-performing cadet after completing his training in 1998. He is a Sukhoi fighter pilot Group Captain and has been undergoing training for India’s dream mission for the past few years. Additionally, he was the first rank holder at the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College.
According to a report in Indian Express, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is an alumnus of NDA and recipient of the Sword of Honour at Air Force Academy. Born on August 26, 1976, Prasanth is the son of Balakrishnan, a retired engineer, and Prameela, a homemaker. His two brothers are settled abroad and his sister lives in Thrissur, Kerala. Prasanth joined the NDA while he was pursuing engineering at NSS Engineering College, Palakkad.
Be First to Comment