Srinagar, Jul 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the feat of astronaut and group captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), and returned to earth after an 18-day stay there.
According to reports, Group Captain Shukla is only the second Indian to have gone to space. His trip came 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.
Prime Minister Modi while congratulating the astronaut said that he has inspired a billion dreams with his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space, ” PM Modi wrote on X.
The Prime Minister said it marks another milestone towards India’s own human space flight mission – Gaganyaan.
Pertinently, in his farewell address from aboard the ISS on Sunday, astronaut Shukla had said India’s journey in space exploration may be tough, but it has begun. “It has been an incredible journey. Even though now it is coming to an end, for you and me there is a long way to go. The journey of our human space mission is very long and difficult. But if we are determined, even the stars are attainable,” he had said.
He referred to India’s first man in space cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma famously quoting from a 1924 Urdu song “Sare jahan se achcha” to say “India looked better than the rest of the world”.
“Even today we want to know how it looks from space. I’ll tell you. From space, today’s India looks ambitious. It looks fearless. It looks confident. It looks proud. And so, I can once again say that today’s India still looks better than the rest of the world,” Group Captain Shukla said.
Group Captain Shukla is among four Indian air force officers shortlisted last year to travel on Gaganyaan. Born on 10 October 1985 in the northern city of Lucknow, Shukla joined the air force as a fighter pilot in 2006. He has flown MiGs, Sukhois, Dorniers, Jaguars and Hawks and has more than 2,000 hours of flying experience. (KNO)
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