PM Modi meets Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, receives Axiom-4 mission patch

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently became the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

Shukla, part of the private Axiom-4 mission from June 25 to July 15, called on the Prime Minister at his official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. Modi welcomed him warmly, first with a handshake and then with a hug. During the meeting, Shukla presented the mission patch of Axiom-4 and shared photographs he had taken from the ISS.

PM Modi in a post on social media platform X shared visuals about his interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. "Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We 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," read his post.

Earlier in the day, Parliament paid glowing tributes to Shukla during a special discussion, with MPs hailing his achievement as a moment of national pride, despite a boycott by opposition parties.

The Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and reached the ISS the following day, carried Shukla alongside three fellow astronauts --Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). He returned to Earth on July 15 after an 18-day stay.

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Also returning home on Sunday was Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, selected for India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission and Shukla's designated backup astronaut for the ISS flight. Both astronauts were received at Delhi's IGI airport by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh and senior officials.