Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently made history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence, where Modi welcomed Shukla with a warm hug and praised his contribution to India’s space journey.

Shukla, dressed in an ISRO astronaut jacket, presented the Prime Minister with the Axiom-4 mission patch and shared photographs he had captured from space.

Part of Axiom-4 Mission

The Indian astronaut was part of the Axiom-4 commercial space mission, which launched from Florida on June 25, 2025, and docked at the ISS the following day. Alongside Shukla, the mission included Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary).

Over 18 days in orbit, Shukla and his crewmates conducted over 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach sessions before returning to Earth on July 15. He arrived back in India on July 31.

Prime Minister’s Guidance

The Prime Minister had earlier spoken to Shukla on June 29, during the mission, urging him to document his experiences for the benefit of India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission.

During a press briefing on August 1, Shukla said:
“I remember very well the homework given to me by the Prime Minister. I completed it sincerely and am excited to share the knowledge with everyone. I am confident that these learnings will prove extremely useful and crucial for our own Gaganyaan mission.”

A Boost for India’s Space Dreams

India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission aims to send its first astronauts into space aboard an indigenous spacecraft. Officials have said Shukla’s insights from his ISS journey will be invaluable in preparing for this milestone.