- Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will meet PM Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg today evening
- Group Captain Shukla is the second Indian in space and first to visit the International Space Station
- Shukla was pilot on Axiom-4 mission that launched from Kennedy Space Centre on 25 June
Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today evening at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence in New Delhi. The meeting is likely to take place between 5 pm to 5:30 pm, officials said.
He will also take part in the National Space Day celebrations on August 23.
Group Captain Shukla, the second Indian to go to space and the first to visit the International Space Station, arrived in India on Sunday. He had been living in the US for a year, training for the Axiom-4 mission. Mr Shukla 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.
Mr Shukla - who 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 - had spoken to PM Modi from space. During this talk, PM Modi had asked the astronaut to document his learnings, training, and stay at the International Space Station for India's future missions.
The Prime Minister had also mentioned Mr Shukla in his Independence Day address. "Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India," PM Modi had said while speaking about India's plans for its space station.
Shubhanshu Shukla's emotional post
While on his way back to India, the Indian astronaut had made an emotional post on Instagram with a smiling photo from the plane. He said that while he was feeling sad about leaving behind his friends who were a part of the Axiom-4 mission, he was excited about meeting his family, friends, and other people in India.
"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," he wrote.
He added, "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."
Mr Shukla ended the post with a line from the song 'Yun Hi Chala Chal' from the film 'Swades' - which was also his chosen anthem for the Axiom-4 mission launch day.
Special session in Parliament
The Lok Sabha is set to hold a special discussion on India's space journey and Mr Shukla's historic mission aboard the International Space Station today. According to a notice by the Lower House of the Parliament, they will debate on "India's first astronaut aboard the ISS - critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047".
Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Our hero Shubhanshu Shukla is back in India. On this occasion, to honour him, we will have a special discussion in the parliament. We will have an elaborate discussion on India's space mission."
