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Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shared an emotional note upon returning to India after a year-long space mission. He expressed gratitude and excitement to reunite with loved ones.
Shukla travelled to the International Space Station with three other crewmates—one each from the US, Hungary, and Poland—on a private space mission funded by the respective countries. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spent nearly Rs 550 crore on this collaboration with Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA. File pic/AFP
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla penned an emotional note as he boarded a flight back to India on Saturday after completing his year-long space mission, expressing a mix of sadness, excitement, and gratitude.
Shukla, who became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in June, announced that he will be returning to India on Sunday.
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Sharing his thoughts on social media, Shukla said he felt emotional about leaving behind “a fantastic group of people who were my friends and family for the past one year during this mission.” At the same time, he said he was eagerly looking forward to reuniting with his loved ones and interacting with people in India for the first time after the mission.
“Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life,” he wrote, adding that his journey had been made special by the “incredible love and support” he received during and after his mission.
Quoting his commander, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Shukla said: “As my commander @astro_peggy fondly says, ‘the only constant in spaceflight is change. I believe that applies to life as well. I guess at the end of the day -“Yun hi chala chal rahi – jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya”.
Shukla returned from the ISS on July 15 after an 18-day mission that included several experiments led by ISRO. Since then, he has been undergoing post-mission rehabilitation in the US.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the IAF Group Captain will first meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi before travelling to Lucknow to be with his family.
During his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister lauded Shukla’s accomplishment, saying the astronaut had “inspired a billion dreams” while energising India’s space aspirations.
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