Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 25 : Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla on Monday said that it will be a huge moment for the country, the day an Indian on an indigenous space capsule travels to space from the country's soil.
Shubhanshu Shukla recently completed the historic mission to the International Space Station as part of the crew in the Axiom 4 Mission.
Speaking to reporters in UP's capital after meeting with CM Yogi Adityanath, Group Captain Shukla said, "Like I said, I consider this the golden period in our journey of space exploration. Soon, the day when we will see an Indian going into space, on an Indian capsule, taking off in an Indian rocket from Indian soil. I think that would be a huge moment for us as India will become the fourth country in the world which will have these capabilities."
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, who recently completed the historic mission to the International Space Station as part of the crew in the Axiom 4 Mission.
In a post on X, UP Chief Minister Office wrote, "Today, at UP CM Yogi Adityanath's official residence in Lucknow, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla ji, the son of the nation, astronaut, and Group Captain, paid a courtesy visit after the successful operation of the historic Axiom4 mission and his safe return from the International Space Station."
Group Captain Shukla also attended the felicitation ceremony at his alma mater, City Montessori School in Gomtinagar.
Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA's Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in Delhi on August 17. He was a part of NASA's Axiom-4 Space Mission, which took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on June 25. He became the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space.