After his landmark journey to the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India to a warm welcome at the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi on Sunday.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, Union minister of science and technology and earth sciences Jitendra Singh, and ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan among others greeted Shukla, who had been in the US for a year-long training stint ahead of the Axiom-4 mission, upon his return.
“Welcome Home, Heroes! What a moment of pride for Delhi and for the entire nation! Honoured to welcome Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Pilot of Axiom Mission-4 and first ISRO astronaut to reach the International Space Station along with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts chosen for India’s first human space mission Gaganyaan,” Gupta said in a post on X.
Shukla is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon and will make a visit to his home town Lucknow, before coming back to the capital to take part in National Space Day celebrations on August 22–23.
“Welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla ji at Delhi Airport today was a celebration of the aspirations and dreams of millions of Indians. Accompanying him was Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair ji, designated as the backup astronaut for the mission. Meeting these brave sons of the soil along with Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh ji and ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan ji was an extremely inspiring experience. Seeing these astronauts among students further strengthened the belief that India’s future is filled with limitless possibilities. This moment will be etched in history with golden letters,” CM Gupta said.
{{/usCountry}}“Welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla ji at Delhi Airport today was a celebration of the aspirations and dreams of millions of Indians. Accompanying him was Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair ji, designated as the backup astronaut for the mission. Meeting these brave sons of the soil along with Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh ji and ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan ji was an extremely inspiring experience. Seeing these astronauts among students further strengthened the belief that India’s future is filled with limitless possibilities. This moment will be etched in history with golden letters,” CM Gupta said.
{{/usCountry}}The Delhi CM added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is reaching new heights in space science and technology. “Shubhanshu ji’s achievement is a symbol of that new India, which inspires future generations to dream big and turn those dreams into reality,” Gupta said.
Shukla’s mission, which was launched from Florida on June 25 and docked with the ISS a day later, concluded with his return to Earth on July 15. During his 18-day stay in the orbit, he and his fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) carried out more than 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach activities.
Union Minister Singh called it a moment of pride for India. “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 was 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 #ISS,” Singh said in a post on X.
On Saturday, ahead of his return, Shukla posted a photo of himself on an aircraft, sharing that he was experiencing a mix of sadness and excitement — sadness of leaving behind colleagues who had become like family during his mission and the joy of reuniting with his loved ones and the nation.