Operation Sindoor: Gaganyaan astronaut recalled by Indian Air Force after strikes against Pakistan
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, selected for India’s first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan, has been urgently recalled by the Indian Air Force due to escalating tensions with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
Krishnan was attending the Global Space Exploration Conference in Delhi when he confirmed to The Print that he was leaving early: “I have been called back by the IAF… because of the current situation.”
His recall comes in the wake of India’s precision strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir targeting terror camps, launched in response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives.
Scheduled for early 2027, Gaganyaan aims to send a three-member Indian crew into low Earth orbit for three days. It marks India’s entry into the elite club of human spaceflight missions.
While Krishnan and Angad Pratap are undergoing astronaut training in India, the other two selected astronauts—Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth B Nair—are in the US for preparations ahead of the Axiom-4 mission.
Commissioned in 2003, Krishnan is an experienced flying instructor and test pilot with nearly 2,900 flying hours on aircraft like the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29. He is also part of the setup of India’s astronaut training centre in Bengaluru.
As India balances its space ambitions with national security needs, Krishnan’s redeployment highlights how global aspirations like Gaganyaan remain intertwined with regional geopolitics.