Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair Receives Kirti Chakra for Key Role in Gaganyaan Mission
Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, a senior officer in the Indian Air Force and a qualified test pilot, has been honored with the Kirti Chakra by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu. This accolade, the nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, was presented during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. As one of the four designated astronauts for India's first indigenous human spaceflight mission, Air Commodore Nair's contributions have been pivotal.
The award acknowledges Air Commodore Nair for his exceptional professional excellence, resilient spirit, and unwavering dedication to duty. His significant role in India's human space exploration, especially his training and mission readiness as the backup pilot for Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2025, was particularly highlighted.
President Murmu, in the ceremony, presented the Kirti Chakra to Air Commodore Nair alongside other gallantry awards to personnel from the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State/UT Police. The event included the conferment of six additional Kirti Chakras, which included two posthumous awards, 15 Vir Chakras, of which three were posthumous, and 29 Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous award.
This honor for Air Commodore Nair forms a part of the 2026 Republic Day gallantry awards list, officially recognizing his crucial involvement in India's ambitious Gaganyaan programme.
Born on August 26, 1976, in Nemmara, Palakkad district, Kerala, Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Service Number 25284, call sign 'Papa') was commissioned as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force on December 19, 1998. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, he received the Sword of Honour as the top cadet of his course.
With over 3,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft types, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, and An-32, he is a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor. He has held the position of Commanding Officer of a Su-30 MKI squadron and graduated at the top of his class from the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College in Alabama. His promotion to the rank of Air Commodore occurred on April 7, 2026.
In 2019, Air Commodore Nair was among four Indian Air Force test pilots selected by ISRO for astronaut training under the Gaganyaan programme, India's first crewed spaceflight initiative. This mission aims to send Indian astronauts, termed Gaganyatris, into low Earth orbit.
He underwent extensive astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow from 2020 to 2021, followed by mission-specific training at ISRO's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. This rigorous preparation was designed to equip him and his fellow astronauts for the demands of human spaceflight.
Serving as the backup mission pilot for Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4), a commercial spaceflight to the ISS in June 2025, Air Commodore Nair trained extensively alongside the primary Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla completed the 18-day mission successfully and was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. As the backup, Air Commodore Nair had to ensure full mission readiness, displaying the discipline, resilience, and competence necessary for such high-stakes operations.
The Kirti Chakra awarded to Air Commodore Nair emphasizes the crucial role of detailed preparation, redundancy, and teamwork in India's human spaceflight efforts. His outstanding service reflects the esteemed traditions of the Indian Air Force and highlights India's expanding capabilities in space exploration, fostered through collaboration with international agencies like NASA and Roscosmos, in conjunction with ISRO's indigenous efforts.
This recognition stands as an inspiration to defense aspirants and the youth of India, demonstrating how rigorous training, dedication, and a commitment to national service can lead to historic achievements in science and technology.
Air Commodore Nair, married to Indian actress Lenaa since January 2024, represents the transformation from a distinguished fighter pilot to a Gaganyatri, showcasing the evolving role of the armed forces in supporting India's strategic and scientific goals.
As India progresses toward realizing the Gaganyaan mission, the honor given to Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair underscores the nation's determination to achieve self-reliance in human spaceflight and acknowledges the quiet professionalism of those poised to serve on the frontiers of exploration.
