PM Narendra Modi Meets Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla After His Historic Space Mission

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on 18 August 2025, a day after his return to India from his historic space visit to the International Space Station (ISS).

Shukla, who became the second Indian to travel to space, flew as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He spent 20 days in space, including 18 days aboard the ISS, conducting over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions.

At his residence, PM Modi welcomed Shukla with a warm hug. The astronaut presented him with the mission patch and the Indian tricolour that he carried to space. This same flag was seen behind him during his ISS interaction with the Prime Minister on June 29.

Shukla wore an ISRO astronaut jacket during the meeting. The two discussed his space experiences, the Gaganyaan mission, and the future of India’s space programme.

The astronaut highlighted challenges in space. “Food is a big challenge. Space is limited. Cargo is expensive. We try to pack maximum calories in minimum space,” he told the PM. He also shared how he grew moong and fenugreek seeds on the ISS. “These seeds are very easy to grow. Just a small dish with water, and in 8 days they had sprouted,” he said.

PM Modi asked about the “homework” he had assigned earlier. Shukla smiled and said, “Very good progress, sir. This mission is not the end, it’s only the beginning.” The astronaut recalled how colleagues teased him when the PM gave him “homework.” But he said it was important and helped him succeed.

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Shukla also spoke about the difficulty of adjusting back to Earth. “When I came back, I was not able to walk.” The brain takes time to adapt. During his stay abroad, he said people everywhere knew about India’s space programme. Many were especially excited about the Gaganyaan mission. Some even knew more details about the timeline than him.

PM Modi stressed the need for a pool of 40–50 astronauts for India’s future space missions. Shukla agreed, adding that young Indians are now inspired. “When I was young, Rakesh Sharma sir went for the first time in 1984, but the dream of becoming an astronaut never came to my mind because we did not have any program.”

Shukla was welcomed at Delhi airport on Sunday with drumbeats and tricolours by hundreds of people. His family, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta were also present.

Shukla said he feels a sense of responsibility now. “I feel I got a lot of opportunities to represent my country and now it is my responsibility to take as many people as possible to this level.”

The Axiom-4 mission, launched from Florida on June 25, docked at the ISS on June 26. Shukla returned to Earth on July 15 with his international crewmates Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary).

PM Modi praised his achievement and said India’s commitment to space exploration remains strong. [Rh/Eth/VP]

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