Shubhanshu Shukla likely to return to India this weekend; may meet PM Narendra Modi, will attend National Space Day celebrations

NEW DELHI: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is expected to arrive in India this weekend, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.Shukla is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his short stay in Delhi before heading to his hometown, Lucknow, to meet his family. He will return to Delhi for the National Space Day celebrations on August 23, the minister added.Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission, which lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS on June 26. Alongside astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), he conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 18-day mission.The Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast on July 15, marking the successful completion of the mission.The Axiom-4 mission is seen as a significant milestone for India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, which is targeting a launch by 2027.Prime Minister Modi praised Shukla’s achievement, saying he has inspired a billion dreams and taken a major step in advancing India’s space ambitions.(With inputs from agencies)