August 18, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a warm and exciting meeting on Monday with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla at his residence in New Delhi. Shukla, the pilot of the thrilling Axiom-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), wore the iconic ISRO astronaut jacket as Modi welcomed him with a heartfelt hug and walked with his arm around the space explorer. During their chat, Shukla gifted PM Modi the special Axiom-4 mission patch and shared breathtaking pictures of Earth from space. Modi expressed his pride on social media, saying, “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.” Shubanshu Shukla is the second Indian to travel to space on the Axiom-4 mission. He returned triumphantly to India on Sunday, welcomed by cheers and applause at Delhi airport. Big names like Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, and ISRO Chairman Dr. V Narayanan were there to greet the star astronaut. In his powerful 79th Independence Day speech, PM Modi praised Shukla’s journey to the stars. “Every citizen of the country is seeing the wonders of the space sector and is filled with pride. And our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. He is also coming to India in a few days. We are also preparing for Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaganyaan on our own in space. We are working towards building our own space station on our own,” said the Prime Minister. Shukla is expected to visit his hometown, Lucknow, before joining the National Space Day celebrations in New Delhi on August 22–23. About the Mission: Shukla’s thrilling journey began in Florida on June 25, when the Axiom-4 spacecraft launched and docked with the ISS in just one day. During his 18 days in orbit, Shukla and fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) performed over 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach activities, bringing a treasure trove of knowledge back to Earth. This meeting not only celebrated Shukla’s heroic space adventure but also fueled India's unstoppable spirit to soar higher with the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and plans for an Indian space station. The sky is no longer the limit—they are aiming for the stars!

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Tags: Prime minister narendra modi, Shubhanshu shukla, Axiom-4 space mission, International space station, Iss, Gaganyaan mission,