NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla , pilot of the Axiom-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence.
PM Modi welcomed Shukla with a warm hug and walked alongside him with his arm on the astronaut’s shoulder, highlighting the significance of the moment.
During the meeting, Shukla presented the Axiom-4 mission patch to the Prime Minister and shared photographs of the Earth taken from the ISS. Shukla, who returned to India early Sunday, had received a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport.
After the meeting, PM Modi took to X and posted, “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.”
Earlier in the day, Shukla was honoured in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion celebrating his milestone mission.
Shukla completed an 18-day Axiom-4 mission on July 15, conducting over 60 experiments with three other crew members aboard the ISS—a key step towards India’s human spaceflight ambitions under the Gaganyaan programme.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the special discussion in the House was aimed at celebrating Shukla’s achievements and India’s growing space capabilities. “Our hero astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to the ISS. Parliament will honour him with a special discussion on his historic milestone and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat,” Rijiju posted on X. He urged Opposition MPs to participate in the debate in the same spirit as they had during Operation Sindoor, though they chose to boycott, causing repeated disruptions.
Breaking ranks, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised Shukla on social media. “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 ISS. It served as a stepping stone to our nation’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan,” Tharoor wrote.
PM Modi had earlier lauded Shukla in his Independence Day address, reiterating India’s plan to build its own space station. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the first module is expected to be placed in orbit by 2028, with the station fully operational by 2035.
Union MoS for science and technology Jitendra Singh criticised Opposition MPs for not acknowledging the achievement. “Your anger can be with the government and the BJP, but it is surprising you can be angry with an astronaut. He is not linked to any political party. You are angry with the earth, you are angry with the sky and today you seem to be angry with space as well,” Singh said.
Shukla’s journey included nearly a year of intensive training in the US before being selected for the Axiom-4 mission. On his return, he expressed gratitude to the nation and said he would share his experiences with students and scientists across India. He is also set to attend National Space Day events later this month.
PM Modi welcomed Shukla with a warm hug and walked alongside him with his arm on the astronaut’s shoulder, highlighting the significance of the moment.
During the meeting, Shukla presented the Axiom-4 mission patch to the Prime Minister and shared photographs of the Earth taken from the ISS. Shukla, who returned to India early Sunday, had received a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport.
#WATCH | Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who was the pilot of Axiom-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/0uvclu9V2b
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2025
After the meeting, PM Modi took to X and posted, “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.”
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 pic.twitter.com/RO4pZmZkNJ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2025
Earlier in the day, Shukla was honoured in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion celebrating his milestone mission.
Shukla completed an 18-day Axiom-4 mission on July 15, conducting over 60 experiments with three other crew members aboard the ISS—a key step towards India’s human spaceflight ambitions under the Gaganyaan programme.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the special discussion in the House was aimed at celebrating Shukla’s achievements and India’s growing space capabilities. “Our hero astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to the ISS. Parliament will honour him with a special discussion on his historic milestone and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat,” Rijiju posted on X. He urged Opposition MPs to participate in the debate in the same spirit as they had during Operation Sindoor, though they chose to boycott, causing repeated disruptions.
Breaking ranks, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised Shukla on social media. “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 ISS. It served as a stepping stone to our nation’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan,” Tharoor wrote.
PM Modi had earlier lauded Shukla in his Independence Day address, reiterating India’s plan to build its own space station. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the first module is expected to be placed in orbit by 2028, with the station fully operational by 2035.
Union MoS for science and technology Jitendra Singh criticised Opposition MPs for not acknowledging the achievement. “Your anger can be with the government and the BJP, but it is surprising you can be angry with an astronaut. He is not linked to any political party. You are angry with the earth, you are angry with the sky and today you seem to be angry with space as well,” Singh said.
Shukla’s journey included nearly a year of intensive training in the US before being selected for the Axiom-4 mission. On his return, he expressed gratitude to the nation and said he would share his experiences with students and scientists across India. He is also set to attend National Space Day events later this month.
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