As part of the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Gaganyaan programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of the four astronauts who will go to low-Earth orbit.
The space agency's astronaut training centre in Bengaluru has been the training ground for the four astronauts. The astronauts were chosen from the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, part of the IAF.
Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, Shubanshu Shukla, and Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair (Group Captain) have been chosen to be the astronauts on India's first crewed space mission.
The Gaganyaan mission will put people into a three-day orbit 400 kilometres above Earth to showcase India's potential for human spaceflight.
While visiting the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the Prime Minister made the announcement.
“I am happy that today I got the opportunity to meet these astronauts and present them in front of the country. I want to congratulate them on behalf of the entire country...You are the pride of today's India,” PM Modi said during his address.