Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, Prasanth Nair selected for Indo-US mission to Space Station: ISRO
Bengaluru, Aug 2: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been selected for an upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Friday.
Group Captain Shukla's name has been recommended as the primary astronaut and Nair will be his backup, ISRO said. This has been done on the recommendation of the NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc, sources in the ISRO told PTI.
In an official release, the ISRO said its Human Space Flight Centre has entered into a space flight agreement with US' Axiom Space Inc, for its fourth mission to the ISS and a National Mission Assignment Board has "recommended two 'gaganyatris' (astronauts) --Group Captain Shukla (prime) and Group Captain Nair (backup)".
"The assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The recommended gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from the first week of August 2024,"ISRO said.
During the mission, the 'gaganyatris' will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS and engage in space outreach activities, it said.
"The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Programme and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA," the Indian space agency said.
India and the US are collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024, American President Joe Biden said after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington last year.
Shukla and Nair are among the four astronauts, whose names were announced by Modi earlier this year for India's maiden human spaceflight mission next year. Two other pilots were Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap.
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IndiGo appoints William Walsh as new CEO
New Delhi (PTI): The country's largest airline IndiGo on Tuesday announced the appointment of former British Airways chief William Walsh as new CEO.
Walsh, an airline industry veteran, is currently the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Announcing the appointment of Walsh as the CEO, subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo, in a release, said his tenure at IATA comes to a close on July 31 and is expected to join no later than August 3.
The announcement comes less than three weeks after the sudden exit of IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers.
Walsh, popularly known as Willie, was formerly CEO of British Airways and IAG (International Airlines Group, a holding company, which owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level and Vueling).
"As we enter a new phase of transformation and growth, I am delighted to welcome Willie to IndiGo.
"He is an iconic and accomplished aviation leader, and brings a rare combination of global perspective, operational expertise of having built strong customer-focused airlines, deep industry experience and a values-driven leadership, making him exceptionally suited to lead IndiGo at this pivotal cusp of growth," IndiGo Managing Director Rahul Bhatia said.
