Meet Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Axiom-4's backup astronaut and Shubhanshu Shukla's Gaganyaan crewmate?

Indias Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair and Hungarys Gyula Cserényi have been named backup crew for Axiom Mission 4, which launches Wednesday at 12:01 pm IST. Nair, a Gaganyaan astronaut and decorated IAF pilot, joins the mission as backup pilot. The main crew, including Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, will dock at the ISS for a two-week mission conducting over 30 scientific experiments. ISROs contributions—led by Shukla—focus on space biology, agriculture, and microgravity, reinforcing Indias growing role in global space research.