New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla who became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).
Shukla, who was part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the ISS from June 25-July 15, met the prime minister at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence.
Modi welcomed Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut’s jacket, with a warm hug and walked with him with his arm on the astronaut’s shoulder.
Shukla also gifted the prime minister the mission patch of the Axiom-4 mission. The Lucknow-born astronaut also shared pictures he had taken from the ISS with Modi.
Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida June 25 and docked at the International Space Station June 26. He returned to Earth 15 July.
Shukla returned to India Sunday.
Along with three other astronauts — Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — Shukla conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 18-day mission.