Lok Sabha to hold special discussion on astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla tomorrow

The Lok Sabha is set to hold a discussion on special discussion on India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station - critical role of space programme for ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’ on Monday following Shubhanshu Shukla's return to India after a successful stint at the ISS on Sunday.

Shukla, who was the part of the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, was welcomed at the airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and ISRO Chairman V Narayanan. His backup astronaut, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, also returned to the homeland.

Shukla is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and travel to his hometown, Lucknow. He is also expected to return to the national capital to participate in the National Space Day celebrations on August 22-23.


Earlier on Saturday, Shukla had posted a smiling photograph of himself sitting in an airplane on Instagram, saying he was filled with mixed emotions as he left the US and looked forward to returning to India to share his experiences with everyone back home.

"As I sit on the plane to come back to India, I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family, and everyone in the country for the first time post-mission. I guess this is what life is - everything all at once," Shukla said in the post.

"Having received incredible love and support from everyone during and after the mission, I can’t wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you. Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander Peggy Whitson fondly says, ‘The only constant in spaceflight is change.’ I believe that applies to life as well," he added.

Shukla also wrote, "I guess at the end of the day - 'Yun hi chala chal rahi - jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya'," recalling the song from the Bollywood movie Swades, which was on his playlist just before he embarked on the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS on June 25 from the US.

Shukla and his backup astronaut Nair participated in the Independence Day celebrations at the Indian Consulate in Houston on Friday.