Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the second Indian to go to space, will return to India on Sunday (August 17) for the first time after the successful conclusion of the historic Axiom-4 space mission last month.
Shukla is already on his way to India, marking his first homecoming after completing a 20-day mission at the International Space Station (ISS). He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and share his experiences that will help India in its maiden human spaceflight.
While addressing the nation on India’s 79th Independence Day, PM Modi had shared that Shubhanshu Shukla would be returning to India soon. “The achievements of the space sector are making the entire nation proud. Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station and will be arriving in India in the coming days."
Sharing a photo on Instagram of himself smiling while boarding a plane to India, Shukla expressed his heartfelt emotions ahead of his return home. “As I sit on the plane to come back to India I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past one year during this mission," he said.
“I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time post mission. I guess this is what life is – everything all at once. Having received incredible love and support from everyone during and after the mission I can’t wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you," he added.
“Goodbyes are hard but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander @astro_peggy fondly says “the only constant in spaceflight is change". I believe that applies to life as well. I guess at the end of the day – “Yun hi chala chal rahi – jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya“."
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to go to space returned from a 20-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on July 15. His journey was part of Axiom Mission 4, a private spaceflight collaboration involving NASA, SpaceX, ISRO, and Axiom Space.
Launched on June 25 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, the Dragon capsule docked with the ISS on June 26. After carrying out various research activities, including microgravity experiments and life science demonstrations, the four-member crew began their return journey on July 14 and splashed down at 3 pm (Indian time) on July 15.
India reportedly paid Rs 548 crore for Shubhanshu’s seat on the mission — a significant investment in preparation for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission in 2027, which will mark the country’s first indigenous crewed spaceflight. Shukla’s work at the ISS, where he conducted several experiments, is expected to be a vital contribution in this endeavour.
Meanwhile, PM Modi on Friday revealed plans to create India’s very own space station, relying on indigenous efforts. He also announced that 300 startups in India are solely focused on the space sector.
Source: News18