In a post on Instagram after returning, Shukla captured the emotional burden of the reunion.
Indian spaceflight participant Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth following an 18-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS), where he was greeted emotionally by his wife, Kamna Shukla, and their six-year-old son, Kiash Shukla, in Houston, Texas. Shukla was meeting his family for the first time in two months.
In a post on Instagram after returning, Shukla captured the emotional burden of the reunion. "It was tough. Returning to Earth and having my family in my arms behind me felt like home," he posted. He further added, "Human spaceflight missions are magical, but they are made magical by the humans."
Shukla was among four astronauts on board Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) — a commercial space mission that included commander Peggy Whitson, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. The crew splashed down safely on Earth on Tuesday after returning for 22 hours on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.
The mission gained Shukla the record of being the first Indian to spend 18 days aboard the ISS, making it the longest space mission by any Indian astronaut. He is also the second Indian to have ever traveled to space, following Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984 aboard a Soviet mission.
Kamna Shukla, who called from Houston, also reflected the family's happiness and plans. "With Shubhanshu having returned safely, our priority will be his rehabilitation and how he easily adjusts back to life on Earth," she said. "For us, just to be reunited after this wonderful journey is a celebration in itself.
Kamna also shared how she remained in touch with her husband throughout his orbital stay. "Hearing his voice and knowing he was safe was a big deal for me. Our calls usually consisted of his daily routines, the special experiments he was doing, and the awe-inspiring experiences he was having, which were quite different from life on earth. These calls were the best part of my day for 18 days," she reminisced.
The duo, who met in Class 3 and got married in 2009, studied together at Lucknow's City Montessori School.
Shukla is likely to play a significant role in ISRO's Gaganyaan mission, India's maiden crewed spaceflight, scheduled for launch in 2027.
Kamna is assisting in bringing him back to normal. "I am already cooking some of his favorite foods, knowing how much he must have missed eating home-cooked food during his space travel," she explained.
