Gaganyaan: Group Captain Prasanth’s achievement has neighbours, friends excited

Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the names of four astronauts undergoing training for the groundbreaking Gaganyaan mission, residents of Nenmara in Palakkad on Tuesday, 27 February, erupted in joy as one of them, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, hails from their locality.

Though his family members were in Thiruvananthapuram to witness the PM unveiling the names of the astronauts, Nair’s neighbours and friends could not contain their excitement.

Nair’s house in Nenmara seemed to remain closed, but neighbours, people’s representatives, and news channel reporters gathered in front of it to share their happiness over the unique achievement.

Also Read: Four astronauts named for ISRO’s maiden human space flight mission – Gaganyaan

People express happiness

• An elderly woman in Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair’s neighbourhood expressed her joy and pride at his achievements, reminiscing about his childhood and expressing confidence in his success.
• She mentioned eagerly waiting in front of the television to witness the Prime Minister announcing Nair’s name, emphasising his positive qualities since a young age.
• The woman credited Nair’s parents for shaping him into the person he has become.
• Prime Minister Modi, while acknowledging the excitement surrounding the astronaut-designates, urged everyone, including the media, to allow them to focus on their training without disturbance.
• Nenmara MLA K Babu visited Nair’s house and remarked on the overwhelming excitement and pride among the people, stating that Nair has become a source of pride not only for Kerala but for the entire nation.
• Modi announced the names of the four astronauts undergoing training for India’s maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, during a function at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram.
• The four astronauts announced are Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, whom he bestowed with ‘astronaut wings’.
• Modi described them as representing the aspirations of 1.4 billion people of the country, symbolizing the nation’s collective dreams and ambitions.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)