New Delhi, May 08: Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, one of the four Indian Air Force officers selected for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has been urgently recalled by the IAF as military tensions escalate with Pakistan following India’s recent precision airstrikes under Operation Sindoor. Krishnan was attending the Global Space Exploration Conference in New Delhi when he received the call to return.

“I have been called back by the IAF. You know, because of the current situation,” Krishnan told The Print, referring to the heightened alert after India struck terror launchpads across the Line of Control in response to the deadly Pahalgam attack. Pakistan Army Suffers Casualties As Indian Army Gives ‘Effective’ Response to Ceasefire Violations Across LoC in Jammu and Kashmir After Operation Sindoor.

Commissioned in 2003, Krishnan is a highly decorated flying instructor and test pilot with nearly 2,900 flight hours on advanced aircraft including the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29. His recall highlights the dual responsibilities borne by India’s astronaut corps, balancing national defence and the country’s emerging space ambitions. Operation Sindoor Still Ongoing, Over 100 Terrorists Killed So Far in Strikes on Terror Camps in Pakistan: Report.

The Gaganyaan mission, now targeting a 2027 launch, aims to send a three-member crew into low Earth orbit for three days. While Krishnan and Angad Pratap are undergoing astronaut training in India, fellow crew members Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B Nair are currently training in the U.S. for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.

Krishnan reiterated that astronaut training remains on track, supported by Indian and Russian space agencies, and coordinated through ISRO’s astronaut training centre in Bengaluru.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2025 05:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).