Why is Isro keeping Gaganyaan astronauts away from public attention?

Union Minister Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that keeping astronauts out of the public eye was a deliberate decision

In a major step towards its first human spaceflight, India has officially named four astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission — Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubanshu Shukla. These astronauts had been kept away from public attention until now to help them focus on intense training and acclimatisation programs, the government said on Wednesday.

 

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour that the decision to keep the astronauts out of the public eye was deliberate. “It was a view that giving too much exposure to the media and the public might cause a distraction which may not be in the compatible interest of all,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

 

 

Among the four astronauts, Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla has already made headlines as he is set to accompany astronauts from other countries to the International Space Station (ISS).

 

“The chosen one was Wing Commander Shukla, who is now Group Captain Shukla. That is how his name came to be little more widely known,” Singh said. 

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India’s big leap: Moon, sea, and space

 

In addition, India is preparing for three major missions that aim to explore the Moon, the deep sea, and space — Chandrayaan-4, Samudrayaan, and Gaganyaan. 

- Chandrayaan-4 (2027): India’s first mission to bring back moon rock samples. It will involve two launches of the LVM-3 rocket, carrying five mission components to be assembled in space.

 

- Gaganyaan (2025): India’s first human spaceflight mission, will send astronauts into low-earth orbit and return them safely. The mission marks a historic moment for Indian space exploration.

 

- Samudrayaan (2026): This mission will take three scientists deep into the ocean—up to 6,000 metres — in a submersible developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai.

 

The deep-sea mission aims to unlock critical minerals, rare metals, and marine biodiversity, vital for India’s economic growth and environmental sustainability.

 

Isro’s infrastructure boom and space economy 

India’s space agency Isro, which started in 1969, had only one launch pad by 1993 and a second by 2004. However, in the last decade, India’s space sector has seen unprecedented growth.

 

“We are now building a third launch pad, and for the first time for heavier rockets, and expanding also beyond Sriharikota with a new launch site in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district to launch small satellites,” Singh said.

 

He said, India’s space economy, currently valued at $8 billion, is set to soar to $44 billion in the next 10 years, further strengthening its status as a global space leader.

 

[With PTI inputs]