LUCKNOW: “I am speechless. My son has safely returned, I thank God,” says a teary-eyed Asha Shukla, mother of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who splashed down on Tuesday after completing his 18-day space odyssey.
The family is now eagerly awaiting his return to India, reportedly on August 17.
The Indian astronaut’s family rejoiced on his return to Earth after the historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS). While Shukla's mother was seen wiping her tears flowing down her cheeks continuously on seeing her son coming out of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’, his father, equally emotional, was seen basking in the glory of his son’s accomplishment being acknowledged by the entire country.
“I got emotional, after all, my son has returned after many days," said Asha Shukla, adding: “Excitement is endless and we are very proud. We were afraid at first… The upcoming generation should take inspiration and move ahead as well."
Expressing his contentment, father Shambhu Dayal Shukla seemed eager to be joined by his son as soon as possible.
"Now we want to meet Shubhanshu as soon as possible... we had been praying for his safe return...,” said Shambhu Dayal Shukla, extending his gratitude to the Almighty and the VVIPs, including the PM, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and others who extended their wishes to the Group Captain.
Taking pride in getting a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her brother, Shubhanshu's sister Shuchi said Shubhanshu deserved all the praise. "Now since he is back safely, we all are relaxed and immensely happy," said Shuchi.
Remembering Shubhanshu’s last call from space on Sunday, Shuchi said everyone was fighting to hold back their emotions.
“We all knew it was the most critical phase of the mission – re-entry is dangerous. But deep down, we believed he would return safely. And the credit for that confidence goes to Shubhanshu," she added.
The family likens his return to a second birth, as they had been conducting a special puja during his 18-day stay at the ISS.
“This mission feels like a rebirth of Shubhanshu," said Shuchi. “He went away from Earth into a completely different environment, and now he has returned with new experiences and memories. It’s almost like he has come back from another world," she added.
This mission marks Shukla as the second Indian astronaut in space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight in 1984.
Earlier, Shubhanshu’s parents, along with his siblings, were given a grand welcome on their arrival at the City Montessori School in Lucknow, where they watched the live telecast of the entire event of his splashdown.
With the Dragon spacecraft’s splashdown, the auditorium, packed with CMS students and teachers, erupted in cheers and celebrations. They also cut a cake to celebrate Shukla’s safe return from space.
