Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India early Sunday after his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, who has been in the US training for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS over the past year, was welcomed at the airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and ISRO Chairman V Narayanan.

Shukla`s backup astronaut, Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, also returned to the homeland. Shukla is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and travel to his hometown, Lucknow He is also expected to return to the capital to participate in the National Space Day celebrations on August 22-23.

"India`s space glory touches Indian soil... as the iconic son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla, lands in Delhi in the early hours of this morning. Accompanying him, another equally accomplished Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts selected for India`s first human mission Gaganyaan, who was India`s designated backup for the mission to the International Space Station #ISS," Singh said in a post on X.