Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, one of the four Indian Air Force officers selected for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has been urgently recalled by the IAF as military tensions with Pakistan escalate following Operation Sindoor.
Krishnan, who was attending the Global Space Exploration Conference in Delhi, confirmed to media that he was leaving the capital early to rejoin his team.
“I have been called back by the IAF. You know, because of the current situation,” he told The Print, referencing the heightened alert after India’s precision airstrikes on terror infrastructure across the border in response to the recent Pahalgam attack.
The Gaganyaan mission, now scheduled for its maiden crewed launch in early 2027, aims to send a three-member crew into low Earth orbit for three days before returning them safely to Earth.
Krishnan and fellow astronaut-designate Angad Pratap are currently training in India, while the other two, Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B Nair, are in the US preparing for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.
Krishnan, commissioned in 2003, is a decorated flying instructor and test pilot with nearly 2,900 hours of flying experience on multiple aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29.
He emphasised that astronaut training is ongoing and collaborative, with significant input from Russian and Indian space agencies in setting up ISRO’s astronaut training centre in Bengaluru.
The Gaganyaan programme, a milestone for India’s space ambitions, has entered its final phase after successful abort and uncrewed test flights. ISRO plans two more uncrewed missions, including one with the humanoid robot Vyomitra, before the first crewed flight.
As the region remains on high alert, the rapid redeployment of IAF officers like Krishnan underscores the delicate balance between national security and India’s space exploration aspirations.
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