Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 14 : As IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, along with his crew from Axiom-4 mission, is set to undock from International Space Station (ISS), his family in Lucknow is "excited" to welcome him back home
Speaking with ANI, Shubhanshu Shukla's mother, Asha Shukla, expressed her desire to meet her son, "If we had our way, we would rush to meet him there. But that is not possible."
Asha Shukla also said that her family prayed to Lord Shiva for the safe return of her son.
"There is so much excitement... Today is a special day for Lord Shiv. We woke up early in the morning and went to the temple. We performed the Abhishek of Lord Shiv. We prayed to God that our child should come back safely and no harm should come to him after landing on earth," she said.
Additionally, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's sister Shuchi Mishra said, "Today again we are feeling the same emotions that we had on the day he went for the mission. We will celebrate a lot when he comes back."
"Every day, we prayed and thanked God. When we talked to him, he seemed very happy... Being a pilot and now an astronaut, he might have seen the different beauty of our nation, and there is no doubt that 'Saare Jahan se acha Hindustan humara', " she added.
The crew is scheduled to undock from the ISS on July 14 at around 4:35 PM IST, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15.
On Sunday, a farwell was held for the crew members at the International Space Station, where Shubhanshu Shukla delivered a stirring speech, in which he quoted iconic words of Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma: "Aaj ka Bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan se acha dikhta hai" (Today's India is still more splendid than the entire world).
He made the remarks as the crew members delivered their farewell speeches in both English and their native languages.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said, "Aaj ka Bharat space se mahatvakaanshi dikhta hai, aaj ka bharat space se nidar dikhta hai, aaj ka Bharat confident dikhta hai, aaj ka Bharat garv se poorn dikhta hai aur inhi sab kaarano ki vajah se aaj mai fir se keh sakta hoon ki aaj ka bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan se acha dikhta hai" (Today's India looks ambitious from space. Today's India looks fearless, confident, and full of pride).
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu.
During their stay, the team conducted multiple scientific experiments and outreach activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.