Shubhanshu Shukla Returns to India, Likely to Meet PM Modi

Shubhanshu Shukla Returns to India: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla landed in India in the early hours of Sunday (August 17, 2025) after his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr. Shukla who has been in the U.S. training for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS for the past year was received at the airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan.

Mr. Shukla’s backup astronaut Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair also landed.

Mr. Shukla will meet PM Narendra Modi and then head to his hometown Lucknow. He will also return to the capital to participate in the National Space Day celebrations on August 22-23.

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Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh shared a heartfelt post on X, saying, “India’s space glory touches Indian soil… as the iconic son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla, lands in Delhi in the early hours of this morning. Accompanying him, another equally accomplished Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts selected for India’s first human mission Gaganyaan, who was India’s designated backup for the mission to the International Space Station #ISS.”

On Saturday Shukla had posted a smiling picture of himself sitting in an aeroplane on Instagram saying he was feeling mixed emotions as he was leaving the US and looking forward to coming back to India and share his experience with everyone back home.

"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," Shukla said in the post.

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"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.

On 79th Independence Day PM Modi had said from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort that the country is building its own space station. He also said Shukla has returned from the ISS.

“Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India,” PM Modi.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s family which is based in Lucknow and was present at the events to witness his launch and landing was also waiting for him to land.

"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 earlier in the day.

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