"Welcome home, Shubhanshu Shukla": PM Modi applauds space hero for inspiring a billion dreams

In a moment of immense national pride, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla successfully concluded his 18-day space mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), becoming India’s first astronaut to live and work aboard the orbiting laboratory. Shukla returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at approximately 3:01 pm IST, marking the successful end of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to hail the achievement, stating,

“I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan.”

Shukla is now only the second Indian to travel into space, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission, and the first ever to orbit aboard the ISS. His return followed a nearly 22-hour journey back to Earth, during which the Dragon spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at over 27,000 km/h, creating a sonic boom over California just moments before splashdown.

Joining Shukla on the mission were Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). As the spacecraft’s drogue parachutes deployed, a brief jolt was felt by the astronauts—an indicator of a successful descent—drawing a collective sigh of relief across India.

During his time aboard the ISS, Shukla conducted multiple international scientific experiments, including work in cell biology, muscle degeneration, artificial intelligence, and space agriculture. His involvement in the Sprouts Project, which explored plant growth in microgravity, holds potential for sustainable food cultivation in space.

Shukla’s professionalism drew widespread praise from mission commander Whitson, who highlighted his exceptional adaptability and conduct throughout the mission. His role in Ax-4 has offered the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) crucial real-world insights into crew health monitoring, microgravity adaptation, spacecraft operations, and post-mission rehabilitation—aspects critical to the success of the upcoming Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Mission.

India invested approximately Rs 550 crore in supporting Shukla’s participation in the Axiom-4 mission, considering it a technical testbed and experiential foundation for future indigenous missions.