Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), has announced that four astronauts are currently undergoing training for India's pioneering human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.

The quartet comprises Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla, each bringing unique experience and expertise to the mission. PM Modi said that the selected individuals symbolise the aspirations of India's 1.40 billion people.

Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, a Group Captain, hails from Kerala and received training in Russia for the human space flight mission. A fighter pilot specialising in Sukhoi warplanes, he graduated from the National Defence Academy and joined the Air Force in 1999. Reports suggest that he's also a graduate of the US Air Command and Staff College in Alabama, with additional training at Bengaluru's Human Space Flight Centre.

Group Captain Ajit Krishnan is among the four people picked to be a part of the mission. As per reports, three of the four crew members would ultimately be selected to go on the space mission.

Group Captain Angad Prathap, who trained alongside his counterparts in Russia for 13 months, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, trained in Moscow's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, complete the quartet.

The Gaganyaan project, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aims to showcase India's human spaceflight capabilities by launching a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission, culminating in their safe return to Indian sea waters.

Critical to the mission's success are the development of various technologies, including a human-rated launch vehicle, a Life Support System ensuring crew wellbeing in space, and provisions for crew emergency escape, along with comprehensive crew management aspects for training, recovery, and rehabilitation, as reported by ANI quoting ISRO.