Lok Sabha to discuss astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's return to India during Parliament Monsoon session today

The Narendra Modi-led Union government has proposed a special discussion in Lok Sabha today on 'India's first astronaut aboard the International Space Station – Critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047' – to mark Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's return to India.

Shukla returned to India early Sunday to a rousing welcome by a large number of people waving the tricolour and beating drums at the airport here to celebrate his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Monsoon Session of Parliament will resume on Monday, 18 August, after a brief break, but there are no signs of a thaw between the government and the Opposition over the demand for a debate on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Monsoon Session ends on 21 August.

Shukla is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday 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.

Shukla, who became the second Indian to undertake a spaceflight as part of the Axiom-4 mission, and his back-up astronaut-designate Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair were welcomed at the airport by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and ISRO Chairman V Narayanan.

"Thank you, sir. It surely feels good to be back home," Shukla posted on X in response to Singh's welcoming post after receiving him at the airport.

Shukla's wife Kamna and son Kiash were also present at the airport to welcome him home after a nearly one-year stay in the US training for the space flight, which finally took place from 25 June to 15 July.

A large crowd waving the national tri-colour had gathered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here to welcome Shukla to the sound of drumbeats.

"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.

Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on 25 June and docked at the International Space Station on 26 June. He returned to Earth on 15 July.

Along with three other astronauts - Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) - Shukla conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 18-day mission.

Smiling photograph of himself

Earlier on Saturday, Shukla had posted a smiling photograph of himself sitting in an aeroplane on Instagram, saying he was filled with mixed emotions as he left the US and looked forward to returning to India to share his experiences with everyone back home.

Shukla and his backup astronaut Nair participated in the Independence Day celebrations at the Indian Consulate in Houston on Friday.

Addressing the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi on Friday said India was developing its own space station and noted that Group Captain Shukla had returned from a space mission.

"Our Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the space station. In the coming days, he is returning to India," Modi had said.

(With PTI inputs)