Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from space as part of the successful Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to share his experiences that could help shape India’s maiden human spaceflight programme.

Shukla is on his way back to India for the first time since the mission, marking an emotional homecoming. Posting a smiling photo from his flight, he wrote about the bittersweet feelings of leaving behind his astronaut colleagues while looking forward to reuniting with his family, friends, and the country.

“As I fly back to India, I feel both joy and sadness — sad to part ways with the incredible team that became my family during the past year, yet excited to finally meet everyone back home,” he wrote. He reflected on the constant change that spaceflight demands, quoting his commander Peggy Whitson, and added a poetic note about life being a journey that never stops moving.

Shukla, who spent 18 days aboard the ISS, conducted seven experiments designed by Indian scientists. These experiments have been brought back for review, with results expected soon. He will also take part in National Space Day celebrations on August 23.

During his pre-mission interactions, Prime Minister Modi had asked him to document his training and ISS experience. This record will now serve as a reference manual for India’s first human space mission, Gaganyaan.

India’s ambitious programme aims to launch an astronaut into space aboard an indigenous rocket, becoming the fourth nation after Russia, the US, and China to achieve such a milestone. While the GSLV Mark-3 rocket has already been modified for human flight, the crew module and environmental control systems are still being perfected, as critical components cannot be sourced internationally.

Shukla underwent extensive training in the US, preparing at NASA, Axiom, and SpaceX facilities. His colleague, Group Captain Prashant Balakrishna Nair — the backup astronaut for Axiom-4 — also completed the same training and will contribute to Gaganyaan.

Looking ahead, India plans to establish its own space station within the next decade. In his Independence Day address, PM Modi reaffirmed the country’s space vision: a Bharatiya Antariksh Station and a human mission to the Moon by 2040.

Shukla’s return is being seen as a pivotal step in transforming those aspirations into reality, as India builds the foundation for its next leap in space exploration.