Cabinet hails Shubhanshu Shukla’s space odyssey

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday welcomed Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s safe return, the country’s first astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), as a

“watershed moment” in the space exploration history of India. Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after an 18-day mission, was greeted

as a reflection of India’s flying high spirits and its scientific capability.

Launched on June 25 as Axiom-4 Crew Mission Pilot, Shukla’s mission — a joint effort with Expedition 73 — placed India among the rarefied ranks of nations with the capability for human spaceflight.

The Cabinet has labelled the achievement as “golden glimpse” for the future of India’s space programme, highlighting its implications for future missions such as the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and the upcoming Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

During his stay on the ISS, Shukla performed pioneering experiments in microgravity, ranging from research on muscle regeneration

to algal growth, crop viability, microbial survivability, and cognitive performance in space.