Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to meet PM Narendra Modi today
Shux, who is a serving Indian Air Force Test Pilot, went to space earlier this year on his maiden mission as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He served as Mission Pilot alongside three other crew members. He conducted seven experiments sent by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), all related to India's own human spaceflight program Gaganyaan Mission. His work aboard the ISS included key scientific experiments on microgravity's impact on human physiology and advanced research in material sciences. Shux's contributions not only garnered global recognition but also demonstrated India's increasing role in collaborative space exploration.Shukla returned to India with his fellow astronaut Gp. Capt. P Balakrishnan Nair, who was the backup astronaut for the Ax-4 mission. '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,' Shux wrote ahead of his homecoming.Both Shukla and Nair are part of India's Gaganyaan astronaut corps and are set to resume training with two other astronauts in October at Isro's Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC).India is planning to launch maiden crewed Gaganyaan Mission to space in 2027, buikld a Bharatiya Antriksh Station by 2035 and land a man on the Moon by 2040.- EndsMust Watch
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NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Shubhanshu Shukla Shows Pics Of Earth From Space During Meet With PM Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla this evening, a day after the astronaut returned to India after his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS). PM Modi hosted Mr Shukla at the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi. PM Modi was seen welcoming Mr Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut's jacket, with a hug. He gifted the Axiom-4 mission patch to PM Modi and showed him pictures of the Earth taken from the International Space Station. He is the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). "India is proud of his feat," posted PM Modi on X after the meeting. Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat. @gagan_shux — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2025 Mr Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission, which lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS on June 26. He returned to Earth on July 15. During the 18-day mission, Mr Shukla, along with astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), conducted more than 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions aboard the ISS. On Saturday, he posted on Instagram a photo of himself sitting on a plane. "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 one 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," read his post. "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 said. Recalling the song from the Bollywood movie ' Swades ' that was on his playlist just before he embarked on the Axiom-4 mission from the US, Mr Shukla said, "I guess at the end of the day -' Yun hi chala chal rahi - jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya '".
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Shubhanshu Shukla meets PM Modi, gifts tricolour he carried into space
A momentous meeting took place in the capital today as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India's pioneering astronaut and Indian Air Force test pilot, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official a gesture laden with patriotic pride, Shukla presented the prime minister with the Indian national flag he personally carried to the International Space Station during his historic Ax-4 mission, symbolising the nation's leap into a new era of human the meeting, Shukla conveyed the exhilaration and challenges of his groundbreaking journey, which saw an Indian astronaut actively participate in long-duration space operations aboard the ISS as part of an international crew. The scientific experiments executed on board, ranging from studies on human physiology in microgravity to new technologies for space agriculture have direct implications for India's own Gaganyaan human spaceflight Minister Modi, deeply moved by the symbolic gift, lauded Shukla not just for his technical achievements, but for inspiring a generation to dream beyond Earth. Parliament on Monday paid glowing tribute to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his historic Ax-4 mission to the International Space Minister of State for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh, led the commemoration by lauding Shukla's achievements and their significance for India's aspirations in the Opposition did not paerticipate in the special discussion, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised the Indian fighter pilot's space in a post on X said, 'Since the Opposition are not participating in the special discussion, let me say how proud all Indians are of the recent mission of Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS).' Tharoor emphasised that Shukla's pioneering mission represents a crucial milestone for India's budding human spaceflight ambitions, serving as a direct stepping stone for the nation's highly anticipated Gaganyaan Ax-4 mission, conducted in collaboration with international partners, provided invaluable experience and advanced India's ambitions for its own human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Shubhanshu Shukla meets PM Modi; gifts tri-colour that travelled to space
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (August 18, 2025) met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr. Shukla, who was part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the ISS from June 25-July 15, met the Prime Minister at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence. Mr. Modi welcomed Mr. Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut's jacket, with a warm hug and walked with him with his arm on the astronaut's shoulder. Mr. Shukla gifted the Prime Minister the mission patch of the Axiom-4 mission and the Indian tricolour that he had taken with him to the ISS. This Indian tricolour was fluttering in the background on the ISS when Mr. Shukla interacted with Modi on June 29. "Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat," Mr. Modi said in a post on X. The Lucknow-born astronaut was also seen showing pictures he had taken from the ISS on a tablet computer to Prime Minister Modi. Mr. Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26. He returned to Earth on 15 July. The Prime Minister interacted with Mr. Shukla on June 29 in the initial days of the Axiom-4 mission that had docked at the ISS. He had also asked the astronaut to document his learning, training and stay at the International Space Station that would help India's future missions, including Gaganyaan. Mr. Shukla returned to India on Sunday (August 17, 2025). In a press interaction earlier this month, Shukla said that he had fulfilled the task entrusted to him by Prime Minister Modi to document every aspect of his mission for the benefit of India's upcoming Gaganyaan programme. "I remember very well the homework given to me by the prime minister. And I completed it very well. I am very excited to come back and share it with you all. I am confident that all that knowledge is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for us, for our own Gaganyaan mission," Mr. Shukla said on August 1. Along with three other astronauts — Peggy Whitson (U.S.), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) -- Shukla conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 20-day Axiom-4 mission.
