Join India in welcoming Shubhanshu on his return: PM

Tue, 15 July 2025

15:31

PM Narendra Modi tweets the successful return of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla from space. "I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan."

As the Dragon spacecraft carrying astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it carried with it more than just scientific data and seed samples, it brought home a story of grit, dreams, and India's growing space ambitions. Group Captain Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, completed his maiden space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a commercial spaceflight supported by ISRO and NASA, and operated by Axiom Space.

The journey marked a milestone for India: Shukla is the first Indian to step aboard the ISS and only the second Indian to go into space, following Rakesh Sharma's iconic flight in 1984.

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