NewzVille Desk
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain PB Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, and Group Captain Angad Pratap who are part of Gaganyaan, ISRO’s maiden space flight mission, during an event in New Delhi today.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh were also present during the felicitation ceremony.
Group Captain Shukla shared his extraordinary experience of travelling to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 4.
Speaking on the occasion, Raksha Mantri described the four Gaganyatris as gems of the country and pioneers of national aspirations.
Singh described Group Captain Shukla as a symbol of civil-military fusion. “Though he wears the uniform of the Indian Air Force, his journey into space was not merely on behalf of the Armed Forces or India alone, but as a representative of all humanity. His contribution to the civil sector, through this historic mission, will forever be recorded in history,” he said.
Underlining the need to prepare astronauts physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically, Rajnath Singh highlighted the pivotal role played by Institute of Aerospace Medicine in this training. “Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a shining embodiment of that institute’s success,” he said.
