Chennai, Aug 3 (Agency) Two Astronauts–Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair–have been shortlisted for the upcoming Axiom-4 Mission to the International Space Station (ISS). They will undergo training in the United States and the assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the ISS by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP), ISRO said on Saturday. . The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. It said the India-USA joint statement during the official state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the USA in June 2023 envisions a joint ISRO-NASA effort to the ISS. Towards the goal of mounting a joint ISRO-NASA effort, the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) of ISRO has entered into a Space Flight Agreement (SFA) with NASA-identified service provider M/s Axiom Space Inc.,USA for its upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the ISS.
A National Mission Assignment Board has recommended two Gaganyatris as prime and backup Mission Pilot for this mission. They are Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (Prime) and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Backup). The assigned crew members will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the MCOP, it said. The recommended Gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from first week of August. During the mission, the Gaganyatri will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS as well as engage in space outreach activities. The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Program and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA, the Indian Space Agency said.