Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut to serve aboard the International Space Station (ISS), at his residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. The meeting marked a proud moment for India’s space program as the two discussed the nation’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
During the interaction, Shukla presented the Prime Minister with the Axiom-4 mission patch and shared breathtaking photographs of Earth taken from space. Modi, in turn, commended Shukla’s achievements and emphasized the importance of documenting his training and stay at the ISS as a future handbook for Gaganyaan—India’s maiden human spaceflight program.
Shukla had returned to Earth on July 15 after an 18-day mission alongside astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). Together, they conducted more than 60 scientific experiments and held 20 outreach sessions, strengthening global collaboration in space science.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lauded Shukla’s mission, while the Lower House held a special discussion highlighting the role of space exploration in India’s development roadmap for 2047. On Sunday, Shukla was accorded a grand welcome on his return to New Delhi, greeted by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, and cheering crowds waving the Tricolour.
Shukla’s journey marks a historic milestone, making him only the second Indian astronaut to enter space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. As India prepares for Gaganyaan, his insights are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the mission and advancing India’s position in global space exploration.
