NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India early Sunday to a hero’s welcome at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, marking the successful completion of his historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
He became the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma. Accompanied by back-up astronaut-designate Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Shukla was welcomed by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, with a large crowd waving the tricolour and beating drums in celebration.
Shukla’s wife Kamna and son Kiash were also present at the airport. He had spent nearly a year in the US preparing for the mission, which launched on June 25 and returned to Earth on July 15. During the 18-day stay at the ISS, Shukla and his crewmates — Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — conducted over 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach sessions.
Ahead of his return, Shukla shared an emotional post on Instagram reflecting on his journey and looking forward to reuniting with loved ones. The government has scheduled a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday titled “India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS – Critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047” to mark his return. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visit his hometown Lucknow, and participate in National Space Day celebrations on August 22–23.
PM Modi had highlighted Shukla’s achievement during his Independence Day address, noting India’s growing ambitions in space, including plans to develop its own space station. (PTI)
