Lucknow,

17 Aug (HS): Astronaut Shubhnshu Shukla returned to his homeland India early

Sunday after his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS).

Shubhnshu Shukla was in the US for the last one year for training for the

Axiom-4 mission to the ISS. He was welcomed at the airport in Delhi by Union

Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and ISRO Chairman V.

Narayanan. Shubhnshu's backup astronaut Prashant Balakrishnan Nair also

returned home.

Shubhanshu

can meet Modi: Shubhanshu Shukla can soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After this he can leave for his hometown Lucknow. It is being told that

Shubhanshu can return to the capital to participate in the National Space Day

celebrations on August 22-23.

Excited

to meet family: Earlier on Saturday, Shubhanshu Shukla posted a smiling picture

of himself sitting in the plane on Instagram, in which he wrote that he had

mixed feelings while leaving America. He is eagerly waiting to return to India

to share his experience with the countrymen. He wrote, 'I had mixed feelings as

I boarded the plane to come back to India. I am sad to leave behind the

wonderful people who were my friends and family for the last one year during

this mission. I am also excited to meet all my friends, family and all the

people of the country for the first time after the mission.'

Parents

said we waited for this moment for months: During a free-wheeling chat, father

Shambhu Dayal Shukla said that I am very happy that my son is returning to

India after succeeding in his mission. We wish to meet him as soon as possible,

so we are going to Delhi. This is a memorable moment of our life that our son

is returning to the country after succeeding in his mission. He further said

that PM Modi has already given a signal to Shubhanshu Shukla for Gaganyaan. The

mission of Gaganyaan is going on and he is thinking of going in 2027. He was

already associated with this mission but now he will lead it. He will now start

preparing for it and will take the mission in 2027.

Shubhanshu

Shukla's mother Asha Shukla said that we were waiting for the last one month

for him to return to India; now that he is coming, we are very happy. Only ISRO

can tell where he will stay. We have no information about this. My son was

already selected for the Gaganyaan mission.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi