THRISSUR : When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the names of four astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan Mission on Tuesday, the people of Nenmara in Palakkad were over the moon. Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the chosen four, comes from this village in Kerala. And soon after, popular actor Lena disclosed her marriage to Prasanth, which was solemnised on January 17.
Born to Balakrishnan and Prameela in 1976, Prasanth did his elementary schooling from Kuwait and later joined Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Pallavur. He was selected to the National Defence Academy while studying at NSS Engineering College, Palakkad. He has two brothers, who are settled overseas, and a sister, who resides in Thrissur. Prasanth is also an alumnus of the United States Staff College and the Defence Services Staff College, Wellingdon, and the Flying Instructors School, Tambaram.
“Prasanth has always been a cheerful kid with great enthusiasm. He always worked hard and achieved the best wherever he went and in whatever he pursued. We are delighted for him and feel proud to be family friends,” said Leela K Nair, a neighbour to his family at Nenmara. Whenever Prasanth visited them, he would query her husband, who is a former military person, on his experiences and challenges, she added.
Leela also pointed out that the upbringing by his parents has led Prasanth to such an exalted position. She also confirmed that Prasanth’s marriage to Lena was known to them and did not want to share the information with anyone unless the family officially announced it.
Ward member Jayashree said she knew the family well and visited Prasanth whenever he came home. Prasanth is a recipient of the Sword of Honour for the best all-round cadet during training. After the announcement, many local residents thronged his house at Nenmara.
But the entire family was in Thiruvananthapuram attending the event.
Gaganyaan Team
All the four are fighter and test pilots drawn from Indian Air Force with a combined flying experience of over 10,000 hours
Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
Born at Thiruvazhiyad in Palakkad, Kerala, on August 26, 1976. He joined National Defence Academy while studying at NSS Engineering College in Palakkad. He was commissioned on December 19, 1998 in the fighter stream of Indian Air Force (IAF). He is a recipient of the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. He is also the alumnus of United States Staff College and a DS at DSSC, Wellington, and FIS, Tambaram. He is a Category ‘A’ flying instructor and a test pilot. He has also commanded a Su-30 squadron.
Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
Born in Chennai on April 19, 1982. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and recipient of President’s Gold Medal and Sword of Honour at Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on June 21, 2003. He is an alumnus of DSSC, Wellington. He is a flying instructor and a test pilot.
Group Captain Angad Pratap
Born in Prayagraj on July 17, 1982. He is an alumnus of NDA and was commissioned on December 18, 2004 in the fighter stream of the IAF. He is a flying instructor and test pilot.
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla
Born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985. He is an alumnus of the NDA and was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the fighter stream of the IAF. He is a fighter combat leader and a test pilot.
Gaganyaan Mission
The manned flight is expected in 2025 or later. The project involves launching a crew consisting of three members chosen from the four to an orbit of 400 km and bring them back in a three-day mission.
Actor Lena reveals marriage to Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
Actress Lena has made a revelation, disclosing her marriage to Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who was selected as astronaut of Indian Human Spaceflight Programme Gaganyaan. “To maintain the officially required confidentiality, I was waiting for the announcement of the Gaganyaan team to let you know that I got married to Prasanth on January 17, 2024, in a traditional ceremony through an arranged marriage,” the actor said in her Instagram platform. She also shared a video of Prasanth’s achievement and marriage. Several actors congratulated the couple following the revelation of their marriage.
