Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), received a rousing civic reception in his hometown Lucknow on Monday. This was his first visit to the city after completing the historic space mission earlier this month.
State Felicitation Ceremony
The Uttar Pradesh government organised a felicitation event at Lok Bhawan, where Shukla was honoured in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, and Dr V Narayanan, Director of ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Centre.
Calling his achievement a “moment of pride” for both the state and the nation, CM Adityanath said, “Your extraordinary achievement, a symbol of India’s talent, hard work, and self-confidence, inspires the new generation to advance in the fields of science and research.”
Dr Narayanan noted that the experiments conducted by Shukla aboard the ISS will help shape India’s upcoming human spaceflight programme.
A Citywide Celebration
Earlier in the day, thousands of residents lined the streets from the airport to the city centre, waving flags and cheering as Shukla’s convoy passed. Students and citizens turned out in large numbers, underscoring the city’s pride in one of its own and India’s growing ambitions in space exploration.
Link to India’s Gaganyaan Mission
Shubhanshu Shukla flew as part of the Axiom-4 Mission to the ISS, conducting microgravity experiments for ISRO. He became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma and the first to visit the ISS.
Shukla is also among the astronauts shortlisted for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts to space aboard an indigenous spacecraft later this decade.
Addressing the gathering, Shukla described his homecoming as deeply emotional. He thanked the people of Lucknow for their overwhelming support and expressed confidence in India’s space journey. “The day is not far when people will speak of ISRO over NASA. This is not just a dream, but a reality waiting to happen,” he said.
During his mission, Shukla also interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held live conversations with schoolchildren on three occasions.
Source: NDTV
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