PM Modi meets astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
PM Modi meets astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
PM Modi on Monday met Astronaut Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, pilot of Axiom-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence.
Welcoming him with a warm hug he walked alongside Shukla with his arm on the astronaut’s shoulder, highlighting the significance of the moment.
In the midst of the meeting, Shukla presented the Axiom-4 mission patch to the Prime Minister and shared photographs of the Earth taken from the ISS. Shukla, who returned to India early Sunday, had received a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport on his arrival.
Following the meeting, PM Modi took to X and posted, “Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. 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.”
Earlier in the day, Shukla was honoured in the Lok Sabha amidst a special discussion celebrating his landmark mission.
Shukla had completed an 18-day Axiom-4 mission on July 15, conducting over 60 experiments with three other crew members aboard the ISS—a key step towards India’s human spaceflight ambitions under the Gaganyaan programme.
As per Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju , the special discussion in the House was aimed at celebrating Shukla’s accomplishments and India’s growing space capabilities. Taking to his X he posted “Our hero astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to the ISS. Parliament will honour him with a special discussion on his historic milestone and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat. He urged Opposition MPs to participate in the debate in the same spirit as they had during Operation Sindoor, though they chose to boycott, causing repeated disruptions.
Taking to his social media, the Congress MP Shashi Tharoor amid lauding Shukla on wrote that “since the Opposition are not part of the special discussion, let me say how proud all Indians are of the recent mission of Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the ISS. It served as a stepping stone to our nation’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.
Earlier PM Modi had praised Shukla in his Independence Day address, reiterating India’s plan to build its own space station. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan asserted that the first module is expected to be placed in orbit by 2028, with the station fully operational by 2035.
However, Union MoS for science and technology Jitendra Singh criticised Opposition MPs for not acknowledging the accomplishment. Adding your anger can be with the government and the BJP, but it is bewildering that you can be angry with an astronaut. He is not linked to any political party. You are angry with the earth, you are angry with the sky and today you seem to be angry with space as well.
Notedly, Shukla’s journey included nearly a year of intensive training in the US before being selected for the Axiom-4 mission. On his return, he owed a debt of gratitude to the nation saying he would share his experiences with students and scientists across India. Later this month, he is also set to attend National Space Day events.
News Edit KV Raman
