Gaganyaan Astronaut Reassigned to IAF Duties Amid Post-Strike Military Alert
Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, one of the four Indian Air Force officers selected for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan, has been urgently recalled by the IAF amid rising military tensions following Operation Sindoor.
Krishnan was attending the Global Space Exploration Conference in Delhi when he received orders to return to his unit. “I have been called back by the IAF… because of the current situation,” he told The Print, referring to heightened military preparedness after India’s precision airstrikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan, launched in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
The situation underscores the dual roles played by elite IAF officers—balancing their contributions to space exploration with real-time national defense obligations. The IAF’s decision to call back Krishnan is part of a broader strategy to ensure readiness along the border.
Krishnan, a decorated test pilot and flying instructor with nearly 2,900 flying hours on platforms like the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29, is one of four astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission, now slated for a crewed launch in early 2027.
While Krishnan and fellow astronaut Angad Pratap have been undergoing training in India, the other two—Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B. Nair—are currently training in the US ahead of their participation in Axiom-4, a precursor to crewed orbital missions.
Despite the redeployment, ISRO has confirmed that astronaut training remains on track. The Gaganyaan programme, which marks a critical milestone in India’s space ambitions, has already completed key abort and uncrewed flight tests. Two additional uncrewed missions—including one carrying the humanoid robot Vyomitra—are scheduled before the human flight.
This unexpected reassignment of Krishnan reflects the delicate balancing act between India’s strategic defense interests and its aspirations to become a global space power.
