- The astronaut brings with him his learnings, which will be invaluable for India's human spaceflight ambitions
- He was welcomed by his family, Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
- Group Captain Shukla is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The second Indian to go to space and the first to visit the International Space Station has set foot in his homeland again.
The plane carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned to Earth - splashing down off the coast of California - on July 15, landed in Delhi in the early hours of Sunday. He was welcomed at the airport by his family, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and a large crowd waving the national flag.
Group Captain Shukla was the pilot on the Axiom-4 mission that lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26. He had been in the US for a year, training for the mission.
The astronaut brings with him his learnings during the mission and at the NASA, Axiom and SpaceX facilities, which will be invaluable for India's human spaceflight ambitions, beginning with Gaganyaan, which is expected to launch in 2027. India also plans a Bharatiya Antariksh Station (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and a crewed mission to the moon by 2040.
PM Meet
Group Captain Shukla is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had mentioned him in his Independence Day address, and take part in the National Space Day celebrations on August 23.
"Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India," PM Modi had said in his address at the Red Fort while speaking about India's plans for its own space station.
The PM had also asked the astronaut to document his learnings, training and stay at the International Space Station for India's future missions.
Sources said Group Captain Shukla's mission will also be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Monday as part of a special discussion on the important role of the space programme in making India a developed nation by 2047.
Emotional Post
In a post on Instagram on his way back, Group Captain Shukla had posted a smiling photo of him on the plane and said he was experiencing a variety of emotions.
"As I sit on the plane to come back to India, I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time post mission. I guess this is what life is - everything all at once," Group Captain Shukla wrote.
"Having received incredible love and support from everyone during and after the mission, I can't wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you. Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander Peggy Whitson fondly says, 'the only constant in spaceflight is change'. I believe that applies to life as well," he added.
Signing off with a line from the song 'Yun Hi Chala Chal' from the film 'Swades', he wrote, "Yun hi chala chal rahi - jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya (Keep at it traveller, life is like a vehicle and time is the wheel)."
'Very Excited'
Shubhanshu Shukla's family, which is based in Lucknow and was present at events to witness his launch and landing, was also eagerly awaiting his arrival.
"I am very excited. My son has successfully completed his mission. We are very excited that my son is coming back. We are trying to meet him as soon as possible... we will meet him in Delhi," Group Captain Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, had told news agency IANS earlier in the day.
