Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday at his residence in Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. Shukla recently became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
The prime minister hugged Shukla warmly and walked with him while keeping his arm on the astronaut’s shoulder. During the meeting, Shukla presented Modi with the Axiom-4 mission patch and the Indian tricolor that he carried with him into space.
The same flag was also displayed when Shukla spoke to Modi virtually from the ISS on June 29. He also showed Modi photographs of Earth taken during his mission.
Food is a Big Challenge in Space
Shubhanshu Shukla shared his experiences from the Axiom-4 mission, which ran from June 25 to July 15. He explained that food is one of the biggest challenges in space.
READ MORE: India Reaches New Heights: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Meets PM Modi After Historic Ax-4 Mission
“Food is a big challenge on a space station. There is less space, and cargo is expensive. You always try to pack as many calories and nutrients as possible in the least space, and experiments are going on in every way,” Shukla said.
India’s Growing Space Recognition
The Lucknow-born astronaut told the prime minister that he was overwhelmed by the recognition India’s space programme received globally.
READ MORE: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Returns to India After Historic Axiom-4 Mission
“Wherever I went, whoever I met, everyone was very happy to meet me, very excited. The biggest thing was that everyone knew about what India is doing in the field of space. Everyone knew about this, and many people were more excited about Gaganyaan than I, who was coming and asking me when your mission was going,” he said.
PM Modi Praises Shukla’s Feat
Calling it a proud moment, Modi later shared his thoughts 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.@gagan_shux pic.twitter.com/RO4pZmZkNJ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2025
“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 its feat,” the prime minister posted.
Preparing for Gaganyaan
Shukla returned to India on Sunday. He said he had fulfilled Modi’s advice to document every detail of his journey. The experience, he noted, would help future astronauts under India’s upcoming human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan.
As part of the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla and three other astronauts — Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — carried out over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during their 20-day stay at the ISS.
MUST READ: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Meets PM Modi After Historic Space Mission | Watch
