Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday, congratulating him on becoming the first Indian astronaut to step aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and emphasising that his experience would play a key role in advancing India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission.

The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi, where Modi warmly welcomed Shukla with a hug and led him inside with an arm around his shoulder. The astronaut—sporting an ISRO flight jacket—presented the Prime Minister with a mission patch from Axiom-4, the private commercial mission that took him to the ISS as part of a four-member international crew.

Shukla also showed Modi photographs and briefed him on his 18-day stay in space from June 25 to July 15, during which the crew conducted over 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach interactions.

“Your Experience Will Help Gaganyaan”

Recalling his earlier interaction with Shukla during the mission, PM Modi said:

“I had asked you to document your learnings from your time on the International Space Station. Your experience will prove extremely valuable for Gaganyaan and for all future Indian human space missions.”

The Prime Minister added that Shukla has not only made the country proud but has also paved the way for the next generation of Indian astronauts.

Mission Axiom-4: India’s First Step into ISS

The Axiom-4 mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 25, and docked with the ISS a day later. The crew included Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) alongside Shukla, representing the first-ever Indian presence on the ISS.

Following his return to Earth on July 15, Shukla reached India on Sunday. In his brief interaction with reporters, he confirmed that he had completed the “homework” assigned by the Prime Minister — namely, to record and compile his learnings and training experiences for ISRO’s use in upcoming missions.

“I am confident that all this knowledge is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for our own Gaganyaan mission,” Shukla said.

The Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden human spaceflight programme, aims to send Indian astronauts into low-earth orbit by 2026.

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