Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is the second Indian to go to space as part of the Axiom-4 mission, returned to India early Sunday morning. Upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Shukla was received by Union MoS for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan.
In an 'X' (formerly Twitter) post, Union MoS Jitendra Singh lauded Shukla for his achievement and said the entire country was proud of him. He said, "A moment of pride for India! A moment of glory for ISRO! A moment of gratitude to the dispensation that facilitated this under the leadership of PM Modi."
"India’s Space glory touches the Indian soil… as the iconic son of Mother India, Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla lands at Delhi in the early hours of morning today. Accompanying him, another equally accomplished Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts selected for India’s first Human mission Gaganyaan who was India’s designated backup for the mission to the International Space Station."
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to meet PM Modi
Shukla is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. During his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, PM Modi had recalled that Shukla had returned from space. "Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India," he said, while adding that India was developing its own space station.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to return hometown
After meeting the Prime Minister, Shukla will return to his hometown in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on August 25. His alma mater, the City Montessori School (CMS), Lucknow, has announced a grand procession to mark the occasion and will accord him a hero's welcome.
In an official message, the school called upon residents to line the streets, wave flags, and join the celebrations during what it has termed the "Grand Victory Parade". The parade is expected to be one of the biggest civic receptions the city has witnessed, with school children, residents and dignitaries coming together to honour Shukla.
Axiom-4 Mission
Shukla was part of the Dragon spacecraft crew that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS on June 26. He returned to Earth on July 15. This mission made him the first Indian astronaut to visit the space station and only the second Indian to journey into space. The first was Rakesh Sharma, who travelled to the Salyut 7 orbital station in 1986.
Along with three other astronauts, Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), Shukla conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 18-day mission.
(With inputs from PTI)
