New Delhi: Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, one of the Indian Air Force officers selected for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has been urgently recalled by the IAF amid rising military tensions with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. Krishnan was attending the Global Space Exploration Conference in Delhi when he received orders to return to his post.
“I have been called back by the IAF… because of the current situation,” he said, while speaking briefly to The Print, referring to the heightened security scenario after India’s precision airstrikes on terror infrastructure across the border in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
Krishnan’s recall comes at a time when India is balancing two critical fronts, safeguarding national security and advancing its ambitions in space. The Gaganyaan mission, now slated for its first crewed flight in early 2027, aims to send a three-member crew into low Earth orbit for three days and return them safely to Earth. The mission represents a major leap in India’s space capabilities and is being executed in collaboration with international space agencies, especially Russia.
Krishnan Undergoing Rigorous Training In India
Among the four astronaut-designates, Krishnan and Angad Pratap are currently undergoing intensive training in India. The other two, Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B Nair, are in the United States preparing for the Axiom-4 mission, which will serve as part of their spaceflight training. Krishnan, commissioned into the IAF in 2003, is an experienced test pilot and flying instructor with nearly 2,900 hours logged on various fighter aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29.
Despite his urgent redeployment, Krishnan stated that the astronaut training program remains active and well-coordinated. The training is being conducted with the joint efforts of Indian and Russian agencies, particularly at ISRO’s astronaut training centre in Bengaluru, which has been crucial to preparing India’s first space crew.
The Gaganyaan programme has entered its final phase, following successful abort tests and uncrewed flight missions. Two more uncrewed missions are planned, one of which will carry the humanoid robot Vyomitra, before the crewed mission lifts off.
