Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Returning to India
Group Captain concludes his historic 18-day ISS mission, expressing a mix of emotions on his return, which is set for August 19.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Aug: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has announced his return to India following a historic 18-day mission. In an emotional Instagram post written from his plane, Shukla shared his “mix of emotions,” feeling both sad to leave his colleagues and excited to reunite with his family and the nation. According to reports, he is set to return on August 19 to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participate in the National Space Day celebrations.
Shukla’s journey was part of the Axiom 4 mission, and his experience is considered a crucial step in India’s preparations for future human space exploration. During his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Modi had announced Shukla’s impending return, stating that the astronaut’s documentation of his training and stay on the ISS would serve as a vital reference for the Gaganyaan mission.
The Gaganyaan program, India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission, is scheduled to launch in 2027. The government also plans to establish a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and conduct a crewed mission to the moon by 2040.
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