India’s second astronaut and the first Indian, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has returned to his homeland. On July 15, he reached Delhi in the early hours of Sunday after a splashadown near the California coast. He was welcomed at the airport by his family, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and a large number of others. Dhol drums were seen playing at the airport to welcome him and people also waved the tricolor. The people present here also raised slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
Shubhanshu Shukla’s space trip and mission
Group Captain Shukla was a pilot of Axiom-4 mission. The mission was launched on 25 June from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA and joined the ISS on 26 June. Shukla was training in America for the last one year on the facilities of NASA, Exium and SpaceX.
A moment of Pride for India! A moment of glori for #ISROA moment of Gratitude to the dispensation that facilitated this under the Leadership of PM @narendramodi,
India’s Space Glory Touches The Indian Soil… As the Iconic Son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla… pic.twitter.com/0QJSYHPTUS
– Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrjitendraSingh) August 16, 2025
Shubhanshu will give wings to India’s space dream
Shukla’s experience will play an important role in India’s ambitious human space program Gaganyaan (2027). Apart from this, India has set a target of Indian Space Station by 2035 and manned lunar mission by 2040.
Meet PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Shukla in the Independence Day speech. Now Shukla will meet the PM and will participate in the National Space Day program on 23 August. The PM has urged him to record his experience and learning in the document so that it can help in the future mission.
Discussion in parliament
According to sources, on Monday, there will be a special discussion on Shukla’s mission in the Lok Sabha on Monday, in which it will be told how the space program will help in making India a developed nation by 2047.
Emotional post on social media
While returning to India, Shukla shared a picture on Instagram and wrote that he is going through mixed feelings. He wrote, “It is sad to leave friends and family found in America, but is also the joy of meeting his family and countrymen. As my commander Paigi Whiteson says – the change in space travel is permanent, the same in life is true.” He finished the post by writing the lines of the song ‘Yun Hi Chal Chal Rahe’ from the film ‘Swades’.
Happiness of Shubhanshu Shukla’s family
Shukla’s family living in Lucknow was present on both launch and landing occasions. His father Shambhu Dayal Shukla said, “We are very happy that our son has completed the successful mission and now he has returned to India. We are keen to meet him in Delhi.”