Shubhanshu Shukla Returns From Space: YS Jagan Hails It as a Proud Moment for India

YSRCP President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on his successful return from the International Space Station (ISS).

Sharing a video of Shukla deboarding the Dragon capsule, Jagan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “A proud moment for India! Congratulations to Group Captain #ShubhanshuShukla and the entire #Axiom4 crew on their successful return from the ISS.”

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace, carrying IAF Group Captain Shukla and three other astronauts as part of the Axiom Space Mission-4 (Ax-4), splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 3:01 p.m. IST (4:31 a.m. CT).

Shukla, along with fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), boarded Grace at 3:30 a.m. CT (2:00 p.m. IST) on Monday. He had flown to the ISS on June 26, becoming the first Indian to visit the space station and the second Indian astronaut in space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission in 1984.

During his 18-day stay aboard the ISS, Shukla completed a series of groundbreaking experiments involving Indian strains of tardigrades, myogenesis, sprouting of methi and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds, and the Voyager display.

Following the successful splashdown, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) congratulated Shukla, stating that his experience would be of immense value to India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

A proud moment for India! Congratulations to Group Captain #ShubhanshuShukla and the entire #Axiom4 crew on their successful return from the ISS. pic.twitter.com/hMqBlWSN4x

— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) July 15, 2025