Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla came back to New Delhi on Sunday morning after completing his two-week-long ISS mission in June-July. Shukla reached Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital early Sunday morning, where Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed him. 

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh shared a heartfelt post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “A moment of pride for India! A moment of glory for #ISRO! A moment of gratitude to the dispensation that facilitated this under the leadership of PM Modi.”

He added, “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 the 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.”

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The video shared by Singh captures the arrival and welcoming of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport following his participation in NASA’s Axiom-4 Space Mission. Shubhanshu’s wife, Kamna Shukla, and their young son are present, adding a personal touch to the event. 

Shukla will reportedly meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning before heading to his hometown, Lucknow. He will return to Delhi later this month to join the National Space Day celebrations on August 22-23.

Parliament to hold special discussion

The Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion on Monday about India’s space journey and the historic mission of Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently went to the International Space Station (ISS).

The debate will focus on “India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS – critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047”. This discussion could also help break the current deadlock in Parliament by celebrating India’s big milestone in space.

The discussion will come at a time when the Opposition is demanding a debate on the alleged manipulation of voter lists in Bihar. The government has refused, saying the matter is before the Supreme Court and relates to the independent Election Commission. This issue has stalled Parliament’s work, but leaders hope the debate on Shukla’s space mission may bring all sides together.

Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi praise Shukla

In her speech on Independence Day eve, President Droupadi Murmu said Shukla’s journey had inspired an entire generation to dream big. She added that his experience will be very useful for India’s future space missions.

During his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Shukla and said the nation is proud of his achievement. He also highlighted that India is preparing for its own Gaganyaan mission and is working towards building an Indian space station.

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Shukla’s journey to ISS

Shubhanshu Shukla began his journey to the ISS on June 25, as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The SpaceX Falcon rocket carrying the crew, including Shukla, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and successfully docked with the ISS on June 26.

During his 18-day stay, Shukla carried out scientific experiments and engaged in international collaboration before returning to Earth in mid-July.  With astronauts from the US, Poland and Hungary, he carried out 60 experiments on behalf of 31 countries, including seven from India. Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma, who went in 1984.