Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to travel to space and the first to reach the International Space Station (ISS), returned home to a grand welcome on Sunday.
His aircraft touched down in Delhi a month after he safely splashed down off the coast of California on July 15, marking the completion of the Axiom-4 mission. At the airport, Shukla was received by his family, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and a cheering crowd holding the national flag.
A Year of Training and a Historic Role
Shukla served as pilot of the Axiom-4 mission, which launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25 and docked with the ISS the next day. He had spent the past year in the United States training with NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX to prepare for the mission.
Officials say his experiences and technical expertise will be vital for India’s upcoming space ambitions, including the Gaganyaan mission in 2027, a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, and a crewed lunar mission by 2040.
Meeting with Prime Minister Planned
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mentioned Shukla in his Independence Day address, is expected to meet the astronaut in the coming days. Shukla will also take part in National Space Day celebrations on August 23.
The Prime Minister has requested him to document his training and stay at the ISS so future Indian astronauts can benefit from his experience. His mission is also scheduled to be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Monday as part of a special debate on India’s space programme.
Emotional Note on Return
On his way back to India, Shukla shared an emotional post on Instagram, saying he felt both sadness and joy.
“I feel sad leaving behind the wonderful people who became like family during this mission, but I am excited to meet my loved ones in India. Life is everything all at once,” he wrote.
He added that his commander, Peggy Whitson, often reminded him that “the only constant in spaceflight is change”—a lesson he believes applies to life as well. He ended the post with a line from the Bollywood film Swades: “Yun hi chala chal rahi – jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya” (Keep moving forward, life is a vehicle and time is the wheel).
Family Overjoyed
Shukla’s parents, who live in Lucknow, expressed pride and excitement at his return. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said the family was eager to reunite with him after his successful mission.
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