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PM Modi welcomed Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla after his return from the ISS.
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Hailed him as India’s first astronaut to visit the space station.
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Called it a milestone towards India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th July: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla after his successful return from the International Space Station (ISS), marking a landmark moment in India’s human spaceflight journey.
“Shubhanshu Shukla Ji has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage, and pioneering spirit,” the Prime Minister posted on X, calling his journey to the ISS a defining milestone. “It marks another step towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan.”
Group Captain Shukla, a test pilot with the Indian Air Force, spent 18 days aboard the ISS as part of the international Axiom-4 mission, becoming the first Indian to do so. He orbited the Earth 310 times, covering over 1.3 million kilometers during the SpaceX-led mission.
As part of the mission, Shukla carried out seven Indian-designed experiments developed by ISRO and leading research institutions. These included life science studies, radiation monitoring, fluid dynamics in microgravity, and bio-medical trials that are expected to directly contribute to India’s Gaganyaan mission, slated for launch in 2027.
The Axiom-4 crew, which included astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary, and a NASA veteran, splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday evening. Shukla’s training and participation were coordinated by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), in collaboration with Axiom Space and ISRO.
Shukla’s participation also strengthens India’s collaboration with global space agencies and private players. It follows India’s rising profile in space exploration, including the success of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions.
As the nation celebrates his return, experts believe Shukla’s mission has laid the psychological, operational, and symbolic groundwork for India’s indigenous human spaceflight program.
