NEW DELHI: Following his historic return from the International Space Station (ISS), India’s astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to touch the soil of India on Sunday, filled with patriotic fervour and an overwhelming desire to breathe in the air of "apna desh" (own country).
Expressing his emotions after boarding an India-bound international flight, Shukla shared a heartfelt message on his ‘X’ account, “As I sit on the plane to come back to India I have a mix of emotions running through my heart.”
Turning more nostalgic than ever before after returning from the ISS, he added further, “I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time mission. I guess this is what life is- everything all at once.”
Quoting a line in Hindi, “Yuh hi chala chal rahi – Jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya” (Just keep moving forward – life is a vehicle and time is its wheel”), Shukla, as India’s second astronaut in space after Rakesh Sharma, said, “I cannot wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you.”
Shukla, who is expected to fly into space again on ISRO’s maiden human spaceflight mission in 2027, will also be visiting New Delhi. Although no official confirmation had reached the media as of Saturday evening, Shukla is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday after visiting his hometown on Sunday.
On Monday, the special discussion on India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station and the critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047 is also scheduled to be held. So, Shukla’s anticipated meeting with PM Modi may coincide with this special discussion on India’s space achievements in the Lok Sabha.
Sources said that the lawmakers of Indian Parliament are likely to salute Shukla on his return to Delhi on Monday through a special session discussion hailing his journey as India’s historic march in space.
Sources here hinted that he may return to Delhi on August 22–23 also after spending time with his family, and may take part in the National Space Day celebrations. He is flying back to Delhi from the US on Sunday.
In his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi hailed Shukla’s space mission and described it as a moment of pride for every Indian. Speaking about Group Captain Shukla’s return from the ISS, the Prime Minister had said, “Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India.”
PM Modi had also held a video conference with Shukla while the astronaut was aboard the ISS and talked to him in detail.
Sources stated that if Shukla fails to meet the Prime Minister on Monday, his meeting with the PM on either 22 or 23 August cannot be ruled out, especially when he returns to the capital for the National Space Day event from Lucknow.
Shukla was among the astronauts on the Axiom-4 private space mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and docked with the International Space Station on June 26. He returned to Earth along with his fellow astronauts on July 15, having conducted over 60 scientific experiments during his 18-day stay in space.