Prasanth Nair
{{Short description|Indian flight instructor (born 1976)}}
{{Infobox astronaut
| name = Prasanth Nair
| honorific_prefix = Group Captain
| image = File:Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair.jpg
| caption = Nair in 2024
| type = ISRO astronaut
| selection = 1st Vyomnaut Group (2019)
| missions =
| insignia =
| nationality = Indian
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|26 August 1976}}
| birth_place = Palakkad, Kerala
| occupation = {{hlist|Astronaut|Test pilot}}
| module = {{Infobox military person| embed = yes
| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| rank = 20px Group Captain
| serviceyears = 1998–present {{Cite web|url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/indianairforce/database/25284|title=Service Record for Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair 25284 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com|website=Bharat Rakshak}}
| servicenumber = 25284
| spouse= Lena
| children=
}}
| alma_mater =
- NSS College of Engineering
- National Defence Academy
- Indian Air Force Academy
- United States Staff College
- IISc Bangalore
}}
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is a qualified flight instructor and a test pilot in the Indian Air Force.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-27 |title=Astronaut pick from Kerala's Palakkad is son of engineer; Malayalam actress Lena says they married earlier this month |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/prasanth-balakrishnan-nair-astronaut-from-kerala-gaganyaan-9184037/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} Nair is one of the four designated astronauts trained by ISRO to fly aboard the Gaganyaan crewed flight.{{Cite news |last=Naha |first=Abdul Latheef |date=2024-02-27 |title=Astronaut-designate Prashant Nair brings cheer to his native Nenmara |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/astronaut-prashant-nair-brings-cheer-to-his-native-nenmara/article67892549.ece |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}
Early life
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair was born in Nemmara, Palakkad, Kerala on 26 August 1976 to Vilambil Balakrishnan Nair, a retired engineer. Nair spent a portion of his childhood in Kuwait but had to return to India after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. After his return, Nair attended the Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Pallavur and ranked as one of the toppers in the SSLC examinations in the year 1992 and again in 1994. After completing school, Nair attended the NSS College of Engineering for 7 months before appearing in the UPSC NDA exam.{{Cite web |title=Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair: From Nenmara school's Wall of Excellence to the captain of Gaganyaan Mission |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/career-and-campus/top-news/2024/02/28/prasanth-b-nair-malayali-astronaut-gaganyaan-school-topper.html |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Onmanorama}}
Indian Air Force Career
Nair was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in December 1998. He specialized in flying the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI but also had experience flying the MiG-21 and the An-32.{{Cite web |title=Who is Prashanth Nair, the Kerala test pilot on Gaganyaan mission? |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2024/02/27/prashanth-nair-test-pilot-gaganyaan-isro-atronaut-space-mission-narendra-modi.html |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Onmanorama |archive-date=2024-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305025338/https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2024/02/27/prashanth-nair-test-pilot-gaganyaan-isro-atronaut-space-mission-narendra-modi.html |url-status=live }} He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Flying Instructors School, Tambaram to become a Category A Flight Instructor in the Indian Air force.{{Cite web |title=Meet ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' Astronauts: From President's Gold Medalist To IAF Fighter Leader |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/meet-isros-gaganyaan-astronauts-from-presidents-gold-medalist-to-iaf-fighter-leader |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}
ISRO Astronaut Career
= Training =
Nair became part of the astronaut selection initiative launched in 2019 by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an institution operating under the Indian Air Force as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. He was eventually chosen among the top four candidates after rigorous evaluation by IAM in collaboration with ISRO. Following his selection, he proceeded to Russia to undertake foundational astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center alongside the other selected crew members. After finishing the basic training course in 2021, he returned to India for further instruction at the Astronaut Training Facility based in Bangalore. Around the same period, Nair also earned a Master of Technology degree in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bangalore.{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Chethan |title=Nair, Prathap, Krishnan and Chauhan listed for Gaganyaan mission |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nair-prathap-krishnan-and-chauhan-listed-for-gaganyaan-mission/articleshow/108022351.cms |access-date=27 February 2024 |work=The Timesof India |publisher=Times Group |location=Bengaluru}}
= Axiom Mission 4 =
He was selected as backup for Shubhanshu Shukla on a private mission to the ISS called Axiom-4 and selected for training at NASA Johnson Space Center.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-03 |title=Who is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the 'prime astronaut' for Indo-US mission to space? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/who-is-shubhanshu-shukla-indo-us-space-mission-9492109/ |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=2024-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803030456/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/who-is-shubhanshu-shukla-indo-us-space-mission-9492109/ |url-status=live }}
= Gaganyaan Mission =
On 27 February 2024, Nair was named as the commander of the 4 member crew designated for the Gaganyaan-4 mission developed by ISRO, the first human space mission of India by their own, which is going to take place in 2026.
Personal life
Nair is married to the actress Lena since January 2024.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/lenaa-kumars-marriage-proposal-with-gaganyaan-astronaut-prasanth-nair/articleshow/108094770.cms|title=Here's how Lenaa received her marriage proposal with Gaganyaan astronaut Prashant Nair - deets inside|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|date=29 February 2024|accessdate=31 July 2024|archive-date=31 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731081358/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/lenaa-kumars-marriage-proposal-with-gaganyaan-astronaut-prasanth-nair/articleshow/108094770.cms|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/gaganyaan-astronaut-prasanth-nair-my-husband-malayalam-actor-lena-2507867-2024-02-27|title=Malayalam actor Lena announces she is married to Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Nair|website=indiatoday.in|publisher=India Today|date=28 February 2024|accessdate=31 July 2024|archive-date=20 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320041258/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/gaganyaan-astronaut-prasanth-nair-my-husband-malayalam-actor-lena-2507867-2024-02-27|url-status=live}}