PM Modi Meets Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Hails His Historic Space Journey
Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to travel to space as part of the Axiom-4 mission, returned to India early Sunday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the pilot of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
Modi welcomed Shukla — dressed in an ISRO astronaut jacket — with a warm hug and walked alongside him with a hand on his shoulder, marking a proud and personal moment for the nation.
During the meeting, Shukla presented the official Axiom-4 mission patch to the Prime Minister and shared breathtaking images of Earth taken from space. “Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat,” Modi posted on X.
Shukla, who became the second Indian to travel to space, returned to India on Sunday and received a hero’s welcome at Delhi airport. Among those who greeted him were Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, and ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan.
Earlier, during his Independence Day address, PM Modi praised Shukla’s achievement, saying, “Every citizen of the country is seeing the wonders of the space sector and is filled with pride. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station... We are working towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat in space with the Gaganyaan mission and our own space station.”
According to reports, Shukla is expected to visit his hometown, Lucknow, in the coming days before returning to Delhi for the National Space Day celebrations on August 22–23.
About the Axiom-4 Mission
Launched from Florida on June 25, the Axiom-4 mission docked with the ISS a day later. Shukla spent 18 days in orbit, during which he and fellow crew members — Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — conducted over 60 scientific experiments and 20 educational and outreach activities.
Shukla’s mission concluded with his return to Earth on July 15, marking a significant milestone not just for him, but for India’s growing role in global space exploration.