New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Tuesday following his successful return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Dragon spacecraft of Axiom Mission-4. Hailing the mission as a landmark moment for India’s space aspirations, the Prime Minister praised Shukla’s courage and dedication, calling him an inspiration to “a billion dreams.”
Group Captain Shukla, an officer of the Indian Air Force, became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and only the second Indian to travel to space, following Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma in 1984. The Dragon capsule, carrying Shukla and three other international astronauts, safely splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an 18-day mission in orbit.
The Axiom-4 crew included Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The team departed the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace” on Monday and returned to Earth in just under 23 hours.
During the mission, the astronauts witnessed over 300 sunrises and sunsets from space and conducted a variety of experiments. ISRO confirmed that Group Captain Shukla successfully completed seven microgravity experiments and other scheduled activities, marking a major scientific achievement.
