New Delhi: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has inspired a billion dreams, and his safe return to Earth signifies another milestone towards Gaganyaan, stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace,” which carried IAF Group Captain Shukla along with three other astronauts as part of the Axiom Space Mission-4 (Ax-4), successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast at 3:01 p.m. IST (4:31 AM CT). “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space,” PM Modi remarked in a post on the social media platform X. “As India’s first astronaut to visit the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage, and pioneering spirit. This marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan,” he further added. Shukla, along with fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), boarded SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace” at 3:30 a.m. CT (2 PM IST) on Monday. Shukla made history by flying to the ISS on June 26, becoming the first individual from the country to reach the International Space Station. He also became the second Indian astronaut to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 journey.
“A moment of glory for India as one of her illustrious sons returns from a successful voyage… having conducted life-bearing experiments in microgravity for posterity, which have never been done before. Bharat today finds an enduring Space in the world of Space!” stated Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, on X. During his more than two-week stay aboard the ISS, Shukla completed over 310 orbits, covering an astonishing 1.3 crore kilometers — equivalent to traveling 33 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.
The crew also experienced over 300 sunrises and sunsets from the orbital lab. On Monday, ISRO reported that astronaut Shukla has successfully completed all seven microgravity experiments along with other scheduled activities, thereby “achieving a milestone in the mission.” The national space agency stated, “Experiments involving the Indian strain of tardigrades, myogenesis, the sprouting of methi and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds, and the voyager display have been carried out as intended.” Following the landing, Shukla and the other crew members will participate in a rehabilitation program lasting approximately seven days, supervised by the Flight Surgeons, to help them readjust to Earth’s gravity.
