IAF calls back Gaganyaan astronaut Ajit Krishnan to his unit after Operation Sindoor

Amid rising tensions with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Force Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, one of the four astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan mission, has been recalled to duty.

Krishnan had been in Delhi for an international space conference and was originally scheduled to remain in the capital until Friday. However, national security concerns have led to his swift return to the IAF, reported The Print. 

“I have been called back by the IAF due to the current situation,” Krishnan told the publication on Wednesday. He added that he would be leaving Delhi early on Thursday to rejoin his team.

Krishnan and his colleague Angad Pratap are among four IAF officers training for India’s Gaganyaan mission, now slated for launch in 2027. 

Meanwhile, astronauts Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B Nair are preparing for the Axiom-4 Mission, set for launch on May 29 in the US.

Commissioned in 2003, Group Captain Krishnan is a flying instructor and test pilot with nearly 2,900 flying hours. His experience spans aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Dornier, and An-32, the report added. 

Gaganyaan mission to send 3 astronauts to space

The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a crew of three astronauts to low Earth orbit, about 400 km above the Earth, for a three-day mission, before safely returning them.

In blue overalls, Krishnan mentioned that his training for the Gaganyaan crewed mission will likely continue until the mission is launched.

Krishnan added that after returning from his first round of training in Moscow, the astronauts began working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to establish an astronaut training centre in Bengaluru for future human spaceflights.

“We were able to help the ISRO after the training we received from Moscow,” Krishnan said.

Unlike Krishnan, Pratap will remain in Delhi until the programme concludes on Friday. He shared his vision for India's space programme, emphasising the need to make space exploration more accessible to the public. “There is a great deal of secrecy surrounding space at present. It’s time for it to be more open,” Pratap remarked. “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience space travel.”