Ajit Krishnan is an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot and astronaut. In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Ajit Krishnan as one of the captains of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission, which India’s first manned space mission.
Wiki/Biography
Ajit Krishnan was born on Monday, April 19, 1982, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (42 years; as of 2024). His zodiac sign is Aries. He is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy (NDA). He studied at the Defense Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
His wife, Priya Krishnan, is a cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals. The couple has a daughter named Ananya and a son named Arjun.
Profession
On June 21, 2003, Ajit Krishnan was inducted into the fighter crew of the Indian Air Force. He is a test pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru. He is also a flight instructor with approximately 2,900 hours of flying experience, an impressive achievement. This extensive experience spans a variety of aircraft including the advanced Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Dornier and An-32.
Gaganyan Mission
On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan and Shu Banshu Shukla is among the four astronauts training for India’s first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, which is said to be launched in 2024 – 25. At an event held at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented “Astronaut Wings” to four Indian astronauts-designate .
It was a very special moment for me to hand over my wings to four Indian astronauts-designate. They reflect the hopes, aspirations and optimism of 1.4 billion Indians.
India is proud of Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Captain Ajit Krishnan, Captain Angad… pic.twitter.com/i0oseaxd4o
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 27, 2024
According to reports, all candidates for the Gaganyaan project are test pilots as this is India’s first manned space mission. After multiple selection rounds, IAM and ISRO selected the final four test pilots. They started training in Russia in 2021, but it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the four underwent various training modules in India with the assistance of various institutions. Scheduled to launch in 2025, the Gaganyaan mission is India’s first manned space mission and aims to send four astronauts into low-Earth orbit for three days before landing safely in the Indian Ocean.
Awards and Honors
- Air Force Academy Sword of Honor
Facts/Trivia
- Ajit Krishnan is second among the four Indian Air Force pilots selected, after Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, who has about 3,000 flying hours. (Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair).
- He received many awards for his outstanding performance at the Air Force Training Academy.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education