ISRO Selects Youngest Astronaut for Indo-US Space Mission

ISRO has appointed Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as the prime astronaut for the upcoming Indo-US mission to the ISS, marking a significant step in India's space exploration efforts.

Shukla, born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, is the youngest of the astronaut-designates selected by ISRO.
He was promoted recently and is a Fighter Combat Leader and test pilot with about 2,000 hours of flying experience.
Shukla has flown a range of aircraft, including Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, and Jaguar.
The backup astronaut for the mission is Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the oldest among the astronaut-designates.
Nair, born in Kerala's Thiruvazhiyad on August 26, 1976, is a Category-A flying Instructor with around 3,000 hours of flying experience.
He has commanded a Sukhoi-30MKI squadron and has flown various aircraft including MiG-21 and MiG-29.
Both astronauts are alumni of the National Defence Academy and have extensive experience in flying and testing aircraft.
The mission is part of collaboration between ISRO and NASA, following a joint statement signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit in June 2023.