PM Modi to give ‘astronaut wings’ to 4 pilots chosen for Gaganyaan

NEW DELHI: PM

Narendra Modi

will bestow ‘

astronaut wings

‘ to the four test

pilots

shortlisted for the

Gaganyaan

mission when he visits

Isro

‘s

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

(VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Tuesday, reports Surendra Singh.
Of the four, 2-3 pilots will finally be chosen for the mission, a source told TOI.
The PM will also inaugurate three important space infrastructure projects worth about Rs 1,800 crore, a PMO said in a statement on Monday.

The three projects include PSLV integration facility at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota; semi-cryogenics integrated engine and stage test facility at Isro propulsion complex in Mahendragiri; and Trisonic wind tunnel at VSSC.
The source also informed that a pilot will be shortlisted from these four for the International Space Station (ISS) mission, as agreed between Isro and Nasa, during the PM’s state visit to the US. “This mission will be planned ahead of India’s human spaceflight mission so as to give the astronaut(s) enough opportunity to learn from the ISS mission to plan well for Gaganyaan,” he said.