‘Everyone Knows India’s Space Progress’: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Tells PM Modi After ISS Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (18 August) met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence in New Delhi.

Shukla, who piloted the Axiom-4 commercial mission from 25 June to 15 July, shared his experiences in space, highlighting the challenges of life aboard the station.

“Food remains one of the biggest challenges in space. Storage is limited and cargo is costly, so the focus is always on packing maximum calories and nutrients into minimal space, while exploring new solutions through ongoing experiments,” he told the prime minister.

During the meeting, Shukla presented Modi with the Axiom-4 mission patch and the Indian tricolour he had taken to space, the same flag that appeared in the backdrop during their virtual interaction from the ISS on 29 June.

He also shared with the Prime Minister, photographs of Earth captured from orbit.

Calling the interaction “a proud moment,” Modi later posted on X, “Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat.”

Shukla, who returned to India on Sunday (17 August), said he had adhered to Modi’s advice to document every aspect of his mission to support the upcoming Gaganyaan programme.

During the 20-day journey, he and his international crewmates conducted more than 60 experiments and held 20 outreach sessions.

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