Great News from AMSAT-INDIA: Amateur Radio Licence for Indian Astronaut Designates!

I was extremely happy to read the post by VU2JEK, Secretary AMSAT-INDIA on X, that all the four Indian astronaut designates have received amateur radio licences. Here is the list of callsigns, though they are yet to be added to QRZ.COM: VU2PFI – Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, VU2HOI – Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, VU2AQI – Group Captain Angad Pratap, VU2TNI – Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. AMSAT-INDIA is also working with ARISS for VU2TNI to be active on amateur radio during the Ax-4 flight to Space Station by Axiom Space. As per news reports, the trip is scheduled to occur in May 2025. VU2TNI has been undergoing training with NASA and Axiom Space for the past 8 months. The mission is expected to be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Four member multinational crew will be aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, planned to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Let us hope that we will have opportunity to contact VU2TNI while on the International Space Station!