After a historic 18-day sojourn to the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is likely to return to India during the week when the nation will celebrate the 78th Independence Day.
Shukla, who piloted the Axiom-4 mission, and his three crew mates : mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Tibor Kapu and Slawosz Uznanski, returned to Earth on Wednesday. Following a picture-perfect splashdown off the California coast, the crew were ferried on a chopper to Houston for medical examination, mission debriefing and other procedures.
The Indian Express has learned from reliable sources at the Department of Space (DoS) that Group Captain Shukla is expected to arrive on August 14 or two-three days later.
“He is expected to arrive in New Delhi. There are plans to arrange a grand reception for Group Captain Shukla in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” an official said.
On Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi had put out congratulatory messages to Shukla on social media platform ‘X’, welcoming him back to Earth after the successful mission.
Meanwhile, Uznanski of Poland representing the European Space Agency (ESA) reached Cologne Bonn in Germany on Thursday. He will undergo post-space mission debriefing and other mandatory activities in the next few days.
Meanwhile, Union minister Jitendra Singh said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is expected to arrive in India by August 17 following a series of post-mission procedures.
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“There are certain SOPs to be followed… His rehabilitation, debriefing sessions and a series of discussions with Team ISRO. We might expect him in Delhi by August 17,” Singh told PTI video. Calling the mission “unprecedented”, Singh said the experiments conducted by Shukla during his stay in the orbital laboratory were closely linked to human survival and life in microgravity. “These experiments will be useful not just for Indians, but for all of humanity,” he said. “It is a moment of immense joy for India,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)