The North News
New Delhi, July 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for completing a landmark space mission, calling it a moment of pride for the nation and a step forward in India’s space ambitions. “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to space,” Prime Minister Modi wrote in his posts on X on Tuesday. “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.”
Shukla today returned from the International Space Station (ISS) after a two-week mission aboard Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), becoming the first Indian to set foot on the ISS and only the second Indian to travel to space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of the mission in India’s roadmap towards Gaganyaan — the country’s first crewed spaceflight programme, expected to launch in the coming years. The mission, organised by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA and SpaceX, carried four astronauts, including Shukla, and returned with 260 kg of research payload.
