New Delhi, August 17 (NationPress) - After a remarkable space mission, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla made his return to India in the early hours of Sunday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. He was greeted by Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Taking to social media platform X, Union Minister Jitendra Singh expressed his pride in a post that read: "A moment of pride for India! A moment of glory for #ISRO! A moment of gratitude to the leadership of PM @narendramodi. India's space glory touches Indian soil as the iconic son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla, lands in Delhi today. Accompanying him is Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who was India's backup astronaut for the International Space Station mission. I am privileged to welcome both of them at the New Delhi Airport alongside CM Smt. Rekha Gupta, #ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan, and a group of enthusiastic students."

Shukla is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today before heading to his hometown, Lucknow, after a year of training in the US for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS.

He will return to New Delhi to participate in the National Space Day celebrations on August 22–23.

Many people from Delhi and nearby regions of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana gathered at the airport, waving tricolors with excitement to welcome Shubhanshu Shukla.

Dinesh Choudhary, a local from Ghaziabad's Loni, shared his joy: "I am thrilled that astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has brought honor and pride to our nation through his successful mission. We can proudly say that Bharat is truly great!"

Another resident, Anshu Kumar, emphasized the importance of Shukla's achievement: "Shubhanshu's success marks a proud moment for our country. I couldn't welcome Kalpana Chawla, but I feel privileged to receive Shubhanshu. I hope he continues to bring pride to our nation in the future as well."

A jubilant citizen added: "Shubhanshu Shukla has filled the hearts of 1.1 billion Indians with pride. We need youth like him to lead our country towards becoming Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant), aligning with PM Modi's vision for India's future."

During the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, PM Modi highlighted India's aspirations for a homegrown space station and acknowledged Shubhanshu's successful mission.

Shukla participated in the Axiom-4 mission, launching from Florida on June 25 and docking at the ISS a day later, returning to Earth on July 15.

Throughout the 18-day mission, he and his fellow astronauts executed over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions aboard the ISS.

On Instagram, Shukla reflected on his journey, expressing mixed emotions about leaving his mission team while also being eager to reunite with friends and family.

Shukla mentioned, "I can't wait to return to India and share my experiences, which will be invaluable for India's future space missions, particularly Gaganyaan, aimed for a 2027 launch."

His family expressed their excitement about his return, with his father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, stating, "We are eagerly looking forward to meeting him in Delhi."

Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed that Shukla will meet PM Modi in Delhi before returning to Lucknow.