'Historic day for India': Adityanath meets Shubhanshu Shukla's family after his ISS entry

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met the family of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who made history as the first Indian to enter the International Space Station (ISS).

Shukla's mother Asha Shukla, father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, sister Suchi Mishra, and nephew Vaishvik Mishra made a courtesy call at the chief minister's official residence.

"A historic day for India!" Adityanath posted on X in English.

"Congratulations to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station. Under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, Bharat rises as a global force in space science and collaboration," he added.

"Salute to this journey carrying the dreams and hopes of 140 crore Indians. Wishing the entire Axiom Mission 4 crew great success!," he said, signing off his message with a "Jai Hindi" and tricolour.

Adityanath had on Wednesday lauded the extraordinary human feat involving the Lucknow-born Shukla on social media, hailing the mission as a testament to India's scientific progress and global collaboration.

Separately, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai also visited the Shukla residence on Thursday to extend his greetings.

Accompanied by senior leaders including Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Shyam Kishore Shukla, and others, Rai felicitated the astronaut's parents with a shawl and said, "The entire nation and state are proud of your son. His achievement will inspire not only the present generation but generations to come." The family's joy was further heightened on Thursday as Shubhanshu and three fellow astronauts successfully entered the ISS after their Dragon spacecraft, Grace, docked with the station's Harmony module. The docking occurred at 4:01 pm IST over the North Atlantic Ocean, concluding a 28-hour journey around Earth. This marked the first time an Indian astronaut set foot on the orbital laboratory.

On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had also visited the Shukla household in Lucknow. "It's a day of immense pride for all of us," he said, presenting a bouquet to Shambhu Dayal Shukla. The family, joined by Pathak, also posed beside a life-size cutout of the astronaut, affectionately referred to with his call sign "Shux."