Cabinet adopts resolution hailing astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space odyssey

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday adopted a resolution lauding Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his historic space mission. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, said Shukla’s mission took India a step closer to realising its dream of having its own space station.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Shukla and three international crew members splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 3:01 PM IST on Tuesday. Shortly after, the four astronauts emerged from the Dragon capsule, waving and smiling.

Shukla’s journey was part of a commercial mission operated by Axiom Space, with support from ISRO and NASA. He is expected to return to India by August 17 after completing post-mission protocols in the United States, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.


The Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden human spaceflight programme, aims to send Indian astronauts to space aboard an indigenous spacecraft. Shukla’s successful mission is seen as a vital step towards that goal.

With inputs from agencies